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TESS — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 43435)
Track TESS (NORAD catalog number 43435) 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 38th orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2018-038A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 191 revolutions of Earth.
Its speed swings from 0.75 km/s at apogee to 2.15 km/s at perigee. TESS follows a highly elliptical orbit, completing a revolution every 342.9 hours. The orbit is strongly elliptical (eccentricity 0.4841): each revolution swings from 121,966 km at perigee out to 362,772 km at apogee. Inclined 56.1° to the equator, it overflies every latitude up to about 56° north and south. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 32.6°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | highly elliptical orbit (HEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~121,966 km × 362,772 km |
| Inclination | 56.11° |
| Orbital period | 20576.8 min (0.07 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.48405 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 2018-038A |
| NORAD catalog number | 43435 |
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
TESS 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 TESS from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude TESS 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 TESS in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- SENTINEL-3B (NORAD 43437)
- COSMOS 2526 (NORAD 43432)
- ZHUHAI-1 OVS-02 (NORAD 43440)
- ZHUHAI-1 OHS-02 (NORAD 43441)
- USA 285 (NORAD 43445)
- USA 286 (NORAD 43446)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe