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GPM Core Observatory — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 39574)

The GPM Core Observatory is a NASA–JAXA satellite that measures rain and snow. The tracking catalog lists it as GPM-CORE (NORAD catalog number 39574); follow it 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 is object C of 2014's 9th orbital launch (COSPAR designation 2014-009C). As of this element set it had completed roughly 71,729 revolutions of Earth.

Moving at about 7.66 km/s, GPM-CORE flies in low Earth orbit at an altitude of roughly 432 × 449 km, completing one revolution every 93.2 minutes — about 15.4 trips around Earth per day. The orbit is essentially circular (eccentricity 0.0012). Inclined 65.0° to the equator, it overflies every latitude up to about 65° north and south. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 245.5°. Earth's equatorial bulge drifts that plane westward about 3.35° per day.

Orbital elements

Orbit regime	low Earth orbit (LEO)
Perigee × apogee altitude	~432 km × 449 km
Inclination	64.97°
Orbital period	93.2 min (15.44 rev/day)
Eccentricity	0.00123
Element set epoch	2026-10-21
COSPAR designation	2014-009C
NORAD catalog number	39574

This page's orbital elements come from the CelesTrak catalog of 2026-10-23. 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

GPM-CORE is one of 4,802 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 GPM-CORE from the ground?

Sometimes. Like most low-Earth-orbit spacecraft, GPM-CORE is visible only around dawn and dusk, when your sky is dark but the satellite is still sunlit — and whether you can spot it depends on its size and reflectivity. See the “When can I see it?” panel in the live view for when it is above your horizon and sunlit.

Related satellites

Nearest catalog neighbors of GPM-CORE in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:

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