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GOES 17 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 43226)
Track GOES 17 (NORAD catalog number 43226) 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 2018, launched on the 22nd orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2018-022A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 3,124 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.07 km/s, GOES 17 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 0.0001). Its near-equatorial 1.1° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 84.3°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,790 km × 35,797 km |
| Inclination | 1.14° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00009 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 2018-022A |
| NORAD catalog number | 43226 |
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
GOES 17'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 17 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude GOES 17 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 GOES 17 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- HISPASAT 30W-6 (NORAD 43228)
- PODSAT (NORAD 43229)
- O3B FM15 (NORAD 43231)
- O3B FM16 (NORAD 43232)
- O3B FM14 (NORAD 43233)
- O3B FM13 (NORAD 43234)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe