Geostationary
TJS-3
Military Communications (Assessed) · CNSA / PLA (Assessed)
Right now
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One of the most observed TJS satellites — in November 2018, a classified US satellite (USA-276, believed to be a Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program spacecraft) maneuvered within 4 miles of TJS-3 and maintained proximity for several months. The US satellite appeared to inspect TJS-3 at close range. This represented the first publicly observed instance of one nation's satellite shadowing another's in geostationary orbit — and raised international concerns about the militarization of GEO.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Geostationaryappears to hang motionless over one spot on the equator
- Altitude
- 22,199–22,221 mi (35,726–35,762 km)
- Inclination
- 2.8°
- One orbit
- 23.9 hoursabout one orbit a day
- NORAD ID
- 43874
- Int’l designator
- 2018-110A
- Launched
- 2018
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.