9.3: Geostationary Orbit Catalog

The GEO catalog lists objects in or near geosynchronous orbit.

Objects are entered in the GEO catalog if at any time in their careers their orbital period is in the near-geosynchronous ring (NGEO) between 23 hours (1380 min) and 25 hours (1500 min). The file contains the following columns:

• (1) NORAD number

• (2) COSPAR designation

• (3) Name

• (4) Alternate (e.g. prelaunch) name

• (5) Julian date of orbital data

• (6) Gregorian date and time (UTC) of orbital data

• (7) GEO status code

  Explanation of GEO status codes: We define the drift rate as the rate of change of longitude assuming a pure Keplerian orbit.

  • GEO: drift rate < 0.05 deg/day, inclination less than 10 deg, eccentricity less than 0.2.

  • Synch: drift rate < 0.05 deg/day but inc more than 10 deg or ecc. greater than 0.2.

  • Drift: drift rate from 0.05 deg/day to 10.0 deg/day.

  • Out: drift rate more than 10 deg/day.

• Orbital period, minutes

• Perigee x apogee (km) x inclination (deg)

• Longitude of ascending node, deg

• Geostationary longitude, deg E or W

• Drift rate in degrees/day

Geostationary Orbit Catalog: Current orbits