CHINASAT 20A

CHINASAT 20A is an active satellite operated by People's Liberation Army (C41) (China), launched on 2010-11-24 from Xichang, China. After 16 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,219 km and 36,411 km with an inclination of 7.3°. It travels at approximately 11,001 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.4 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 CHINASAT 20A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CHINASAT 20A 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 7.3°, 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 20A’s average altitude, there are currently 48 active payloads and 8 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with CHINASAT 20A.