MOLNIYA 1-32

MOLNIYA 1-32 is an active satellite operated by GUKOS RVSN (Russia (CIS)), launched on 1976-01-22 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on the Molniya-1 11F658 No. 40 launch. After more than 50 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 2,204 km and 38,245 km with an inclination of 63.7°. It travels at approximately 13,937 km/h (3.87 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 60 minutes — that’s roughly 2.00 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.6776 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks MOLNIYA 1-32 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

MOLNIYA 1-32 orbits at an average altitude of 20,225 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 1-32’s average altitude, there are currently 84 active payloads and 15 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 63.7°, MOLNIYA 1-32 passes over latitudes between 63.7°N and 63.7°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 1,553 active satellites in total, of which 37 share a similar altitude band with MOLNIYA 1-32.