EXPRESS 3A

EXPRESS 3A is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2000-06-24 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 26 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,180 km and 36,247 km with an inclination of 12.3°. It travels at approximately 11,014 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 EXPRESS 3A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EXPRESS 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 12.3°, 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 EXPRESS 3A’s average altitude, there are currently 89 active payloads and 17 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,286 active satellites in total, of which 6 share a similar altitude band with EXPRESS 3A.