RADUGA 1-7

RADUGA 1-7 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2004-03-27 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 22 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,785 km and 35,819 km with an inclination of 13.7°. It travels at approximately 11,068 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 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 RADUGA 1-7 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

RADUGA 1-7 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 13.7°, 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 RADUGA 1-7’s average altitude, there are currently 715 active payloads and 63 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,286 active satellites in total, of which 123 share a similar altitude band with RADUGA 1-7.