BEIDOU 8

BEIDOU 8 is an active satellite operated by Chinese Ministry of National Defense (China), launched on 2011-04-09 from Xichang, China. After 15 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,643 km and 35,933 km with an inclination of 62.4°. It travels at approximately 11,069 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 orbits per day. It is part of the Beidou constellation group. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks BEIDOU 8 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BEIDOU 8 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 62.4°, 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 BEIDOU 8’s average altitude, there are currently 714 active payloads and 60 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 109 share a similar altitude band with BEIDOU 8.