BRAZILSAT B3

BRAZILSAT B3 is an active satellite operated by Brazil, launched on 1998-02-04 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 28 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,075 km and 36,094 km with an inclination of 10.8°. It travels at approximately 11,031 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.2 hours — that’s roughly 0.99 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks BRAZILSAT B3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BRAZILSAT B3 occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 10.8°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of BRAZILSAT B3’s average altitude, there are currently 145 active payloads and 11 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Brazil operates approximately 31 active satellites in total, of which 5 share a similar altitude band with BRAZILSAT B3.