ATS 6

ATS 6 is an active satellite operated by GSFC (United States), launched on 1974-05-30 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the ATS F launch. After more than 52 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,170 km and 35,459 km with an inclination of 1.7°. It travels at approximately 11,132 km/h (3.09 km/s), completing one full orbit every 23 hours 32 minutes — that’s roughly 1.02 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 ATS 6 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ATS 6 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 1.7°, 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 ATS 6’s average altitude, there are currently 3 active payloads and 10 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 3 share a similar altitude band with ATS 6.