MOLNIYA 1-29

MOLNIYA 1-29 is an active satellite operated by GUKOS RVSN (Russia (CIS)), launched on 1975-04-29 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia on the Molniya-1 launch. After more than 51 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 1,716 km and 38,639 km with an inclination of 64.2°. It travels at approximately 13,949 km/h (3.87 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 58 minutes — that’s roughly 2.01 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.6954 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks MOLNIYA 1-29 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

MOLNIYA 1-29 orbits at an average altitude of 20,178 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. Within ±50 km of MOLNIYA 1-29’s average altitude, there are currently 107 active payloads and 15 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 64.2°, MOLNIYA 1-29 passes over latitudes between 64.2°N and 64.2°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,552 active satellites in total, of which 58 share a similar altitude band with MOLNIYA 1-29.