CHINASAT 20

CHINASAT 20 is an active satellite operated by China Satellite Communications (China), launched on 2003-11-14 from Xichang, China. With over 23 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,101 km and 36,131 km with an inclination of 10.5°. It travels at approximately 11,027 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 CHINASAT 20 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CHINASAT 20 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 10.5°, 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 CHINASAT 20’s average altitude, there are currently 185 active payloads and 8 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 14 share a similar altitude band with CHINASAT 20.