DIRECTV 4S

DIRECTV 4S is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2001-11-27 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 25 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,059 km and 36,083 km with an inclination of 6.3°. It travels at approximately 11,032 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 DIRECTV 4S in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

DIRECTV 4S 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 6.3°, 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 DIRECTV 4S’s average altitude, there are currently 128 active payloads and 17 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 27 share a similar altitude band with DIRECTV 4S.