Home › Other Active Satellites › TDRS 6
TDRS 6 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 22314)
Track TDRS 6 (NORAD catalog number 22314) live on the WatchSat interactive 3D globe above. Its position is propagated in real time from the latest CelesTrak two-line element set using the SGP4/SDP4 orbital model — the same math professional trackers run. It is object B of 1993's 3rd orbital launch (COSPAR designation 1993-003B). As of this element set it had completed roughly 12,323 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.08 km/s, TDRS 6 flies a geosynchronous orbit roughly 35,786 km up: its 23.9-hour period matches Earth's rotation, but at 14.2° inclination it is not geostationary — seen from the ground it traces a daily figure-eight around a fixed longitude, swinging about 14° north and south of the equator. The orbit is essentially circular (eccentricity 0.0009). Its 14.2° inclination keeps its ground track over the tropics and lower mid-latitudes. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 356.4°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,752 km × 35,832 km |
| Inclination | 14.19° |
| Orbital period | 1436.0 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00094 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 1993-003B |
| NORAD catalog number | 22314 |
This page's orbital elements come from the CelesTrak catalog of 2026-09-08. The live 3D view above fetches its own current CelesTrak data when the page opens, through an edge cache that refreshes roughly every 30 minutes.
About the Other Active Satellites group
TDRS 6 is one of 4,471 active satellites in WatchSat's general catalog — the broad population of Earth-observation, communications, science, amateur-radio and technology spacecraft outside the giant broadband constellations. Browse all other active satellites live in 3D.
Can you see TDRS 6 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude TDRS 6 is far beyond unaided visibility — following satellites this high takes a telescope and good timing. You can still track it precisely in the live 3D view above, or check pass predictions for your location.
Related satellites
Nearest catalog neighbors of TDRS 6 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- LAGEOS 2 (NORAD 22195)
- SCD 1 (NORAD 22490)
- UFO 2 (USA 95) (NORAD 22787)
- STELLA (NORAD 22824)
- EYESAT A (AO-27) (NORAD 22825)
- ITAMSAT (IO-26) (NORAD 22826)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe