FENGYUN 2G AKM

FENGYUN 2G AKM is a spent rocket body associated with China, launched on 2014-12-31 from Xichang, China on the FY-2-08 launch. After 12 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,781 km and 36,177 km with an inclination of 7.6°. It travels at approximately 11,044 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Spent rocket bodies like FENGYUN 2G AKM are among the largest pieces of uncontrolled space debris and are priority targets for collision avoidance manoeuvres and future active debris removal efforts.

FENGYUN 2G AKM 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 7.6°, 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 FENGYUN 2G AKM’s average altitude, there are currently 49 active payloads and 26 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,221 active satellites in total.