GSAT 6A

GSAT 6A is an active satellite operated by India, launched on 2018-03-29 from SRI. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 26,231 km and 36,111 km with an inclination of 3.3°. It travels at approximately 11,730 km/h (3.26 km/s), completing one full orbit every 20 hours 7 minutes — that’s roughly 1.19 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.1316 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks GSAT 6A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GSAT 6A orbits at an average altitude of 31,171 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. With an inclination of 3.3°, GSAT 6A passes over latitudes between 3.3°N and 3.3°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. India operates approximately 108 active satellites in total.