By the end of 1994, the Arabsat system had been reduced to only one operational satellite.
As a result, the constellation reached its lowest point of just 6 operational satellites in 2001.
It derives its name from the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites.
It was to cost $6.5 billion for six spacecraft and have the first operational satellite in space by 2008.
On 21 October 2011, the first two of four operational satellites were launched to validate the system.
Ten operational satellites and two demonstration spacecraft have been placed in orbit.
The first of its operational satellites entered orbit in October.
About seven percent of the space objects are operational satellites, the rest are debris.
The major risk is impact with operational satellites.
Thus, operational satellites represent a small minority of the population of man-made objects in space.
