GIOVE-A

GIOVE-A is an active satellite operated by ESA (European Space Agency), launched on 2005-12-28 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 21 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 23,289 km and 23,422 km with an inclination of 58.9°. It travels at approximately 13,183 km/h (3.66 km/s), completing one full orbit every 14 hours 10 minutes — that’s roughly 1.69 orbits per day. Orbital Radar tracks GIOVE-A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GIOVE-A orbits at an average altitude of 23,356 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of GIOVE-A’s average altitude, there are currently 1 active payload and 6 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 58.9°, GIOVE-A passes over latitudes between 58.9°N and 58.9°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. ESA (European Space Agency) operates approximately 93 active satellites in total.