ASTRA 2C

ASTRA 2C is an active satellite operated by SES S.A. (SES), launched on 2001-06-16 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 25 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,113 km and 36,159 km with an inclination of 8.2°. It travels at approximately 11,024 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 ASTRA 2C in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ASTRA 2C 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 8.2°, 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 ASTRA 2C’s average altitude, there are currently 184 active payloads and 7 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. SES operates approximately 77 active satellites in total, of which 21 share a similar altitude band with ASTRA 2C.