NATO 3B

NATO 3B is an active satellite operated by NICSMA (NATO), launched on 1977-01-28 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the NATO 3B launch. With over 49 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 37,075 km and 37,425 km with an inclination of 8.0°. It travels at approximately 10,882 km/h (3.02 km/s), completing one full orbit every 25.2 hours — that’s roughly 0.95 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 NATO 3B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NATO 3B 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 8.0°, 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 NATO 3B’s average altitude, there are currently 5 active payloads and 4 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. NATO operates approximately 8 active satellites in total.