EUTE 12 WEST A (AB 1)

EUTE 12 WEST A (AB 1) is an active satellite operated by Eutelsat, launched on 2002-08-28 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 24 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,318 km and 36,383 km with an inclination of 7.3°. It travels at approximately 10,996 km/h (3.05 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.4 hours — that’s roughly 0.98 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 EUTE 12 WEST A (AB 1) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EUTE 12 WEST A (AB 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 7.3°, 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 EUTE 12 WEST A (AB 1)’s average altitude, there are currently 38 active payloads and 10 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Eutelsat operates approximately 62 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with EUTE 12 WEST A (AB 1).