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INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 27438)
Track INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) (NORAD catalog number 27438) 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 2002, launched on the 27th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2002-027A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 5,218 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.08 km/s, INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) flies a geosynchronous orbit roughly 35,786 km up: its 23.9-hour period matches Earth's rotation, but at 7.0° inclination it is not geostationary — seen from the ground it traces a daily figure-eight around a fixed longitude, swinging about 7° north and south of the equator. The orbit is essentially circular (eccentricity 0.0003). Its near-equatorial 7.0° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 68.8°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,780 km × 35,807 km |
| Inclination | 6.95° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00032 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 2002-027A |
| NORAD catalog number | 27438 |
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
INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) 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 INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) 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 INTELSAT 905 (IS-905) in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- GALAXY 3C (G-3C) (NORAD 27445)
- DIRECTV 5 (TEMPO 1) (NORAD 27426)
- AQUA (NORAD 27424)
- COSMOS 2390 (NORAD 27464)
- COSMOS 2391 (NORAD 27465)
- INTELSAT 904 (IS-904) (NORAD 27380)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe