ARABSAT 3A

ARABSAT 3A is an active satellite operated by Arabsat (Saudi Arabia), launched on 1999-02-26 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 27 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,794 km and 35,838 km with an inclination of 11.9°. It travels at approximately 11,066 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 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 ARABSAT 3A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ARABSAT 3A 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 11.9°, 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 ARABSAT 3A’s average altitude, there are currently 706 active payloads and 67 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. Saudi Arabia operates approximately 15 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with ARABSAT 3A.