DIRECTV 1R

DIRECTV 1R is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1999-10-10 from Sea Launch (ocean platform). With over 27 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,148 km and 36,167 km with an inclination of 10.7°. It travels at approximately 11,021 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.3 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 DIRECTV 1R in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

DIRECTV 1R 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 10.7°, 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 DIRECTV 1R’s average altitude, there are currently 168 active payloads and 9 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 56 share a similar altitude band with DIRECTV 1R.