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POLAR — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 23802)
Track POLAR (NORAD catalog number 23802) 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 has been on orbit since 1996, launched on the 13th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 1996-013A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 14,648 revolutions of Earth.
Its speed swings from 1.52 km/s at apogee to 7.41 km/s at perigee. POLAR follows a highly elliptical orbit, completing a revolution every 18.5 hours. The orbit is strongly elliptical (eccentricity 0.6600): each revolution swings from 5,695 km at perigee out to 52,545 km at apogee. Inclined 80.0° — nearly pole-to-pole — its ground track sweeps essentially every latitude. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 225.5°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | highly elliptical orbit (HEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~5,695 km × 52,545 km |
| Inclination | 80.02° |
| Orbital period | 1109.0 min (1.30 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.66004 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-10-20 |
| COSPAR designation | 1996-013A |
| NORAD catalog number | 23802 |
This page's orbital elements come from the CelesTrak catalog of 2026-10-23. 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
POLAR is one of 4,802 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 POLAR from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude POLAR 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 the “When can I see it?” panel in the live view.
Related satellites
Nearest catalog neighbors of POLAR in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- INMARSAT 3-F1 (NORAD 23839)
- USA 115 (MILSTAR-1 2) (NORAD 23712)
- USA 119 (NORAD 23893)
- TDRS 7 (NORAD 23613)
- UFO 4 (USA 108) (NORAD 23467)
- RADIO ROSTO (RS15) (NORAD 23439)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory.
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