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WGS F8 (USA 272) — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 41879)
Track WGS F8 (USA 272) (NORAD catalog number 41879) 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 75th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2016-075A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 3,564 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.07 km/s, WGS F8 (USA 272) 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 121.7°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,794 km × 35,794 km |
| Inclination | 0.02° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00001 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-06 |
| COSPAR designation | 2016-075A |
| NORAD catalog number | 41879 |
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
WGS F8 (USA 272) 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 WGS F8 (USA 272) from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude WGS F8 (USA 272) 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 WGS F8 (USA 272) in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- RESOURCESAT-2A (NORAD 41877)
- FENGYUN 4A (NORAD 41882)
- GOKTURK 1A (NORAD 41875)
- CYGFM05 (NORAD 41884)
- CYGFM04 (NORAD 41885)
- CYGFM02 (NORAD 41886)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe