XM-1

XM-1 is an active satellite operated by XM Radio (United States), launched on 2001-05-08 from Sea Launch (Odyssey platform), International on the XM Radio-1 launch. With over 25 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,139 km and 36,153 km with an inclination of 9.1°. It travels at approximately 11,023 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 XM-1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

XM-1 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 9.1°, 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 XM-1’s average altitude, there are currently 180 active payloads and 15 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 56 share a similar altitude band with XM-1.