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COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 42719)
Track COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) (NORAD catalog number 42719) 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 2017, launched on the 27th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2017-027A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 6,800 revolutions of Earth.
Its speed swings from 1.65 km/s at apogee to 9.10 km/s at perigee. COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) follows a highly elliptical orbit, completing a revolution every 12.0 hours. The orbit is strongly elliptical (eccentricity 0.6930): each revolution swings from 1,778 km at perigee out to 38,569 km at apogee. Inclined 63.0° to the equator, it overflies every latitude up to about 63° north and south. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 239.0°. Earth's equatorial bulge drifts that plane westward about 0.11° per day.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | highly elliptical orbit (HEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~1,778 km × 38,569 km |
| Inclination | 63.02° |
| Orbital period | 717.3 min (2.01 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.69300 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-04 |
| COSPAR designation | 2017-027A |
| NORAD catalog number | 42719 |
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
COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) 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 COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) 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 COSMOS 2518 (EKS 2) in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- SES-15 (NORAD 42709)
- QZS-2 (MICHIBIKI-2) (NORAD 42738)
- INMARSAT 5-F4 (NORAD 42698)
- VIASAT-2 (NORAD 42740)
- EUTELSAT 172B (NORAD 42741)
- SGDC (NORAD 42692)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe