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INMARSAT 4-F3 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 33278)
Track INMARSAT 4-F3 (NORAD catalog number 33278) 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 2008, launched on the 39th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2008-039A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 4,736 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.08 km/s, INMARSAT 4-F3 flies a geosynchronous orbit roughly 35,786 km up: its 23.9-hour period matches Earth's rotation, but at 4.4° inclination it is not geostationary — seen from the ground it traces a daily figure-eight around a fixed longitude, swinging about 4° north and south of the equator. The orbit is essentially circular (eccentricity 0.0003). Its near-equatorial 4.4° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 31.7°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,781 km × 35,805 km |
| Inclination | 4.37° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00028 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-06 |
| COSPAR designation | 2008-039A |
| NORAD catalog number | 33278 |
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 4-F3 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 4-F3 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude INMARSAT 4-F3 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 4-F3 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- SUPERBIRD-C2 (NORAD 33274)
- HUANJING 1A (HJ-1A) (NORAD 33320)
- HUANJING 1B (HJ-1B) (NORAD 33321)
- GEOEYE 1 (NORAD 33331)
- ECHOSTAR 11 (NORAD 33207)
- NIMIQ 4 (NORAD 33373)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe