SIRIUS 3

SIRIUS 3 is an active satellite operated by Sirius XM Holdings (United States), launched on 2000-11-30 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 26 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 24,626 km and 24,679 km with an inclination of 59.7°. It travels at approximately 12,904 km/h (3.58 km/s), completing one full orbit every 15 hours 7 minutes — that’s roughly 1.59 orbits per day. Orbital Radar tracks SIRIUS 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SIRIUS 3 orbits at an average altitude of 24,653 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. With an inclination of 59.7°, SIRIUS 3 passes over latitudes between 59.7°N and 59.7°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total.