Graveyard Orbits: What They Are and Why They Matter

When a geostationary satellite reaches end-of-life, it cannot simply be “turned off” and left in place. One widely used practice is to move retired spacecraft to a disposal region above the GEO belt—commonly referred to as a graveyard orbit.

What is a graveyard orbit?

A graveyard (or disposal) orbit is a region above geostationary orbit intended to reduce interference with active GEO operations. The exact target altitude can vary based on mission specifics and applicable guidelines.

Why it exists

GEO is crowded and economically valuable. Moving retired satellites away from the operational belt helps preserve access, reduce collision risk, and support long-term coordination.

Common disposal steps (high-level)

• Raising the orbit above the GEO belt.
• Implementing safe end-of-life measures to reduce long-term risk.
• Providing documentation and tracking to support oversight.

Limits and open questions

Graveyard orbits are not a permanent solution. Retired satellites still remain in orbit and can create future challenges. Long-term sustainability will require clear governance, improved transparency, and conservative end-of-life planning.

What we do not publish

For safety and security reasons, we do not publish operational parameters, disposal maneuvers, or sensitive procedures on the public website.