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TDRS 12 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 39504)
Track TDRS 12 (NORAD catalog number 39504) 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 2014, launched on the 4th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2014-004A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 4,509 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.08 km/s, TDRS 12 flies a geosynchronous orbit roughly 35,786 km up: its 23.9-hour period matches Earth's rotation, but at 4.1° 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 0.0006). Its near-equatorial 4.1° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 20.3°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,767 km × 35,821 km |
| Inclination | 4.06° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00064 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 2014-004A |
| NORAD catalog number | 39504 |
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
TDRS 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 TDRS 12 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude TDRS 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 TDRS 12 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- THAICOM 6 (NORAD 39500)
- ABS-2 (NORAD 39508)
- ATHENA-FIDUS (NORAD 39509)
- COSMOS 2494 (SKRL-756 2) (NORAD 39491)
- COSMOS 2493 (SKRL-756 1) (NORAD 39490)
- EXPRESS-AM5 (NORAD 39487)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe