Overview
Most GEO satellites are launched for commercial use (55.1%) and for the purpose of communications (83.0%).
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Insights from the GEO satellite dataset
Which year saw the most GEO satellites launched?
Who operates or owns the most GEO satellites?
Which country operates or owns the most GEO satellites?
Which rocket has delivered the most GEO satellites to space?
Which launch site has launched the most GEO satellites to space?
Apogee, Perigee & Period
Satellite Mass
Highlights on some of the government satellites:
Second heaviest satellite launched by ESA into space at 3,186 kg
A commercial satellite, EDRS-C is operated by Airbus of ESA for the purpose of communications.
A GEO satellite, it was launched into space using Ariane 5 as the launch vehicle from Guiana Space Center on 6 August 2019. EDRS-C was constructed by OHB Germany (Germany).
EDRS-C has a launch mass of 3,186 kg and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2019-049A and NORAD ID 44475.
With an orbital eccentricity of 9.49E-05, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,782km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,790km. It takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth along the longitude of 31 degrees.
Second heaviest satellite launched by Atlas 2AS into space at 4,723 kg
A commercial satellite, Intelsat 901 is operated by Intelsat S.A. of USA for the purpose of communications.
Constructed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (USA), it was launched into space using Atlas 2AS as the launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral on 9 June 2001. Intelsat 901 orbits around the Earth as a GEO satellite.
With a launch mass of 4,723kg and a dry mass of 1,972kg, Intelsat 901 is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 13 years. It orbits around the Earth with the COSPAR ID 2001-024A and NORAD ID 26824.
With an orbital eccentricity of 2.73E-04, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,775km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,798km. It takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth.
With generated usable power of 10000 watts, Intelsat 901 orbits along the longitude of -28 degrees.
Heaviest satellite launched by Malaysia into space at 5,800 kg
Measat 3B is a commercial satellite operated by MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) for the purpose of communications.
Constructed by Airbus Defence and Space (Germany/France), it was launched into space using Ariane 5 ECA as the launch vehicle from Guiana Space Center on 11 September 2014. Measat 3B orbits around the Earth as a GEO satellite.
Measat 3B has a launch mass of 5,800 kg and is expected to have a operational lifetime of 15 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2014-054B and NORAD ID 40147.
Using its self-produced usable power of 16000 watts, Measat 3B orbits along the longitude of 92 degrees.
The satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,772km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,802km. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 3.56E-04 and it takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth.
Heaviest satellite launched by Sirius XM Holdings into space at 7,000 kg
Designed for communications, Sirius XM-8 is a commercial satellite operated by Sirius XM Holdings (USA).
Delivered via Falcon 9 (launch vehicle) from Cape Canaveral, it was launched into space on 6 June 2021 and orbits the Earth as a GEO satellite. Sirius XM-8 was constructed by Maxar (USA).
Designated with COSPAR ID 2021-049A and NORAD ID 48838, Sirius XM-8 is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 15 years. It has a launch mass of 7,000 kg.
Using its self-produced usable power of 18000 watts, Sirius XM-8 orbits along the longitude of -121 degrees.
The satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,779km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,794km. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 1.78E-04 and it takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth.
A commercial satellite, SES-12 is operated by SES S.A. of Luxembourg for the purpose of communications.
Constructed by Airbus Defense and Space (France/UK/Germany), it was launched into space using Falcon 9 as the launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral on 4 June 2018. SES-12 orbits around the Earth as a GEO satellite.
SES-12 has a launch mass of 5,300 kg and is expected to have a operational lifetime of 15 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2018-049A and NORAD ID 43488.
With an orbital eccentricity of 0.00E+00, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,785km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,785km. It takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth.
With generated usable power of 15000 watts, SES-12 orbits along the longitude of 95 degrees.
Heaviest satellite launched by Japan into space at 5,857 kg
Operated by Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation of Japan, JCSat 17 is a commercial satellite launched for the purpose of communications.
Constructed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (USA), it was launched into space on 18 February 2020 using Ariane 5 as the launch vehicle from Guiana Space Center. JCSat 17 orbits around the Earth as a GEO satellite.
JCSat 17 has a launch mass of 5,857 kg and is expected to have a operational lifetime of 15 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2020-013A and NORAD ID 45245.
With an orbital eccentricity of 3.20E-04, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,773km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,800km. It takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth.
JCSat 17 orbits along the longitude of 136 degrees at an inclination of 7 degrees.
Heaviest satellite launched by Optus Communications (Parent: Singapore Telecom) into space at 3,270 kg
A commercial satellite, Optus 10 is operated by Optus Communications (Parent: Singapore Telecom) of Australia for the purpose of communications.
Delivered via Ariane 5 ECA (launch vehicle) from Guiana Space Center, it was launched into space on 11 September 2014 and orbits the Earth as a GEO satellite. Optus 10 was constructed by Space Systems/Loral (USA).
Designated with COSPAR ID 2014-054A and NORAD ID 40146, Optus 10 is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 15 years. It has a launch mass of 3,270 kg.
With an orbital eccentricity of 3.56E-04, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,772km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,802km. It takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth along the longitude of 164 degrees.
Third heaviest GEO satellite launched into space at 7,075 kg
Telstar 19 Vantage is a commercial satellite operated by Telesat Canada Ltd. (BCE, Inc.) (Canada) for the purpose of communications.
Constructed by Space Systems/Loral (USA), it was launched into space using Falcon 9 as the launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral on 22 July 2018. Telstar 19 Vantage orbits around the Earth as a GEO satellite.
Telstar 19 Vantage has a launch mass of 7,075 kg and is expected to have a operational lifetime of 15 years. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2018-059A and NORAD ID 43562.
With an orbital eccentricity of 1.42E-04, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,780km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,792km. It takes 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth along the longitude of -63 degrees.
Compare Telstar 19 Vantage with Galaxy-30 from USA.
Compare Telstar 19 Vantage with Sky Muster 2 from Australia.
Second heaviest satellite launched by Proton K into space at 4,300 kg
Designed for communications, DirecTV-5 is a commercial satellite operated by DirecTV, Inc. (USA).
Delivered via Proton K (launch vehicle) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, it was launched into space on 7 May 2002 and orbits the Earth as a GEO satellite. DirecTV-5 was constructed by Space Systems/Loral (USA).
Designed with an operational lifetime of 15 years, DirecTV-5 has a launch mass of 4,300 kg and dry mass of 3,640 kg. It navigates with the COSPAR ID 2002-023A and NORAD ID 27426.
Taking 1,436 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 35,773km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 35,799km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 3.08E-04 and it orbits along the Earth longitude of -110 degrees.
Get more insights from these satellite datasets
Full datasets: All satellites by launch date | The Heaviest Satellites That Are Launched to Space
By Use Type: Civil-use satellites | Commercial satellites | Government satellites | Military satellites
By Country: USA | UK | France | Germany | Japan | China | Russia | Australia | Canada
By Orbit Class/Type: LEO satellites | MEO satellites | GEO satellites | Elliptical orbit | Polar orbit | Equatorial orbit | Non-polar inclined orbit | Sun-synchronous orbit | Molniya orbit
By Operators: SpaceX | EUTELSAT | SES | European Space Agency (ESA) | Planet Labs | Iridium | Spire Global | OneWeb | Swarm Technologies | NASA - Dataset of Satellites Launched (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) | Canadian Space Agency (CSA) - Dataset of Satellites Launched
By Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 | Ariane 5 | Ariane 5 ECA | Delta 2 | Dnepr | Electron | Falcon Heavy | Long March 2C | Long March 2D | Long March 3B | Pegasus | Proton | Proton M | PSLV | Rokot | Soyuz | Soyuz-2.1b | Vega
By Launch Vehicle: Cape Canaveral | Baikonur Cosmodrome | Guiana Space Center | International Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | Plesetsk Cosmodrome | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 | Satish Dhawan Space Centre | Taiyuan Launch Center | Vandenberg AFB | Xichang Satellite Launch Center | Boeing Satellite Systems | Airbus Defense and Space | EADS Astrium | Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems | Space Systems/Loral | Surrey Satellite Technology | Technical University Berlin | Thales Alenia Space
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