FENGYUN 2C

FENGYUN 2C is an active satellite operated by China Meteorological Administration (China), launched on 2004-10-19 from Xichang, China. With over 22 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,396 km and 36,428 km with an inclination of 12.4°. It travels at approximately 10,988 km/h (3.05 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.5 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 FENGYUN 2C in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

FENGYUN 2C 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 12.4°, 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 FENGYUN 2C’s average altitude, there are currently 18 active payloads and 22 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with FENGYUN 2C.