KALPANA 1 (METSAT 1)

KALPANA 1 (METSAT 1) is an active satellite operated by India, launched on 2002-09-12 from SRI. With over 24 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,312 km and 36,362 km with an inclination of 13.1°. It travels at approximately 10,998 km/h (3.06 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 KALPANA 1 (METSAT 1) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

KALPANA 1 (METSAT 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 13.1°, 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 KALPANA 1 (METSAT 1)’s average altitude, there are currently 44 active payloads and 10 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. India operates approximately 108 active satellites in total.