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GOES-16 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 41866)
GOES-16 is a NOAA geostationary weather satellite. The tracking catalog lists it as GOES 16 (NORAD catalog number 41866); 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 has been on orbit since 2016, launched on the 71st orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2016-071A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 3,636 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.08 km/s, GOES 16 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 0.0002). Its near-equatorial 0.6° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 83.8°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,784 km × 35,803 km |
| Inclination | 0.65° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00023 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-10-21 |
| COSPAR designation | 2016-071A |
| NORAD catalog number | 41866 |
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
GOES 16's name places it among WatchSat's 36 weather and environmental-monitoring satellites — a family that includes the NOAA, GOES, METEOSAT, METOP, FENGYUN, HIMAWARI and DMSP fleets. Browse all other active satellites live in 3D.
Can you see GOES 16 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude GOES 16 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 the “When can I see it?” panel in the live view.
Related satellites
Nearest catalog neighbors of GOES 16 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- TIANLIAN 1-04 (NORAD 41869)
- YUNHAI-1 01 (NORAD 41857)
- GOKTURK 1A (NORAD 41875)
- RESOURCESAT-2A (NORAD 41877)
- AEROCUBE 8C (NORAD 41853)
- WGS F8 (USA 272) (NORAD 41879)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory.
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