Orbital Traffic All objects

Geostationary

DIRECTV 9S

US Direct-Broadcast Television (HDTV Expansion) · DirecTV (AT&T)

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A DirecTV satellite at 101°W adding capacity to the prime DirecTV orbital position. DirecTV-9S specifically enabled the expansion of HD channels — DirecTV marketed itself aggressively as the 'HD leader' with more HD channels than cable, a competitive advantage that drove subscriber growth through the 2000s. The proliferation of HD channels required additional transponder capacity that satellites like DirecTV-9S provided.

Its orbit

Orbit
Geostationaryappears to hang motionless over one spot on the equator
Altitude
22,430–22,466 mi (36,098–36,156 km)
Inclination
2.7°
One orbit
24.2 hoursabout one orbit a day
NORAD ID
29494
Int’l designator
2006-043A
Launched
2006

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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