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DIRECTV 12 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 36131)
Track DIRECTV 12 (NORAD catalog number 36131) 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 2009, launched on the 75th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2009-075A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 4,737 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.07 km/s, DIRECTV 12 sits in the geostationary belt roughly 35,786 km above the equator, where its 23.9-hour orbit matches Earth's rotation — seen from the ground it stays parked over the same longitude around the clock. The orbit is essentially circular (eccentricity 0.0000). Its near-equatorial 0.0° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 326.6°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,793 km × 35,795 km |
| Inclination | 0.04° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00002 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 2009-075A |
| NORAD catalog number | 36131 |
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
DIRECTV 12 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 DIRECTV 12 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude DIRECTV 12 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 DIRECTV 12 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- XIWANG-1 (HOPE-1) (NORAD 36122)
- YAOGAN-8 (NORAD 36121)
- YAOGAN-7 (NORAD 36110)
- WGS F3 (USA 211) (NORAD 36108)
- INTELSAT 15 (IS-15) (NORAD 36106)
- EUTELSAT 36B (NORAD 36101)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe