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INMARSAT 3-F1 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 23839)
Track INMARSAT 3-F1 (NORAD catalog number 23839) 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 20th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 1996-020A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 11,107 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.07 km/s, INMARSAT 3-F1 flies a geosynchronous orbit roughly 35,786 km up: its 24.0-hour period matches Earth's rotation, but at 10.8° inclination it is not geostationary — seen from the ground it traces a daily figure-eight around a fixed longitude, swinging about 11° north and south of the equator. The orbit is essentially circular (eccentricity 0.0007). Its 10.8° inclination keeps its ground track over the tropics and lower mid-latitudes. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 45.9°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,842 km × 35,897 km |
| Inclination | 10.77° |
| Orbital period | 1440.0 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00066 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 1996-020A |
| NORAD catalog number | 23839 |
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
INMARSAT 3-F1 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 INMARSAT 3-F1 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude INMARSAT 3-F1 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 INMARSAT 3-F1 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- POLAR (NORAD 23802)
- USA 119 (NORAD 23893)
- USA 115 (MILSTAR-1 2) (NORAD 23712)
- 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 · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe