The final firing should boost the satellite to its operational orbit 22,300 miles above the Equator, far above the shuttle in what should be an 184-mile-high orbit.

For satellites in geostationary orbit and geosynchronous orbits, the graveyard orbit is a few hundred kilometers above the operational orbit.

It could not be raised into its operational orbit due to fuel limitations.

Six were built, of which five reached their operational geostationary orbits, and remain in service.

Chandrayaan-1 reaches its operational (100 km) orbit around the moon.

The satellite would then reach its operational orbit about six hours later, after two rocket firings.

The commercial satellites were deployed successfully and subsequently propelled into their operational geosynchronous orbits by booster rockets.

The upper stage of the rocket underperformed, but the satellite used its significant stationkeeping fuel margin to achieve its operational geostationary orbit.

The Rokot performed as expected, and the Briz-KM made the first of two burns to place the satellite into its operational orbit.

The aerobraking phase, needed to reach the operational orbit, lasted until August 30, 2006.