EUTE 172A (GE 23)

EUTE 172A (GE 23) is an active satellite operated by EUTELSAT S.A. (Eutelsat), launched on 2005-12-29 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 21 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,760 km and 35,813 km with an inclination of 4.2°. It travels at approximately 11,070 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 EUTE 172A (GE 23) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EUTE 172A (GE 23) 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 4.2°, 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 EUTE 172A (GE 23)’s average altitude, there are currently 713 active payloads and 58 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. Eutelsat operates approximately 62 active satellites in total, of which 28 share a similar altitude band with EUTE 172A (GE 23).