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XMM-NEWTON — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 25989)
Track XMM-NEWTON (NORAD catalog number 25989) 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 1999, launched on the 66th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 1999-066A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 2,341 revolutions of Earth.
Its speed swings from 1.47 km/s at apogee to 4.04 km/s at perigee. XMM-NEWTON follows a highly elliptical orbit, completing a revolution every 47.9 hours. The orbit is strongly elliptical (eccentricity 0.4652): each revolution swings from 29,429 km at perigee out to 91,714 km at apogee. Inclined 64.1° to the equator, it overflies every latitude up to about 64° north and south. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 281.9°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | highly elliptical orbit (HEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~29,429 km × 91,714 km |
| Inclination | 64.06° |
| Orbital period | 2872.9 min (0.50 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.46521 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-06 |
| COSPAR designation | 1999-066A |
| NORAD catalog number | 25989 |
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
XMM-NEWTON 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 XMM-NEWTON from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude XMM-NEWTON 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 XMM-NEWTON in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- TERRA (NORAD 25994)
- ORBCOMM FM32 (NORAD 25982)
- UFO 10 (USA 146) (NORAD 25967)
- ABS-6 (NORAD 25924)
- ASIASTAR (NORAD 26107)
- CXO (NORAD 25867)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe