MARISAT 3

MARISAT 3 is an active satellite operated by Comsat (United States), launched on 1976-06-10 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the Marisat B launch. After more than 50 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,474 km and 37,643 km with an inclination of 7.4°. It travels at approximately 10,906 km/h (3.03 km/s), completing one full orbit every 25.0 hours — that’s roughly 0.96 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 MARISAT 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

MARISAT 3 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 7.4°, 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 MARISAT 3’s average altitude, there are currently 8 active payloads and 2 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 13,279 active satellites in total.