ANIK A1 (TELESAT 1)

ANIK A1 (TELESAT 1) is an active satellite operated by Telesat (Canada), launched on 1972-11-10 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the Anik A1 launch. After more than 54 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,139 km and 36,255 km with an inclination of 5.9°. It travels at approximately 11,016 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.3 hours — that’s roughly 0.99 orbits per day. It is part of the Telesat constellation group. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks ANIK A1 (TELESAT 1) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ANIK A1 (TELESAT 1) 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 5.9°, 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 ANIK A1 (TELESAT 1)’s average altitude, there are currently 115 active payloads and 20 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Canada operates approximately 75 active satellites in total, of which 3 share a similar altitude band with ANIK A1 (TELESAT 1).