TDRS 12

TDRS 12 is an active satellite operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (United States), launched on 2014-01-24 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. After 12 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,775 km and 35,801 km with an inclination of 4.0°. 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. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks TDRS 12 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TDRS 12 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 4.0°, 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 TDRS 12’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. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 146 share a similar altitude band with TDRS 12.