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GOES 18 — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 51850)
Track GOES 18 (NORAD catalog number 51850) 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 2022, launched on the 21st orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2022-021A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 741 revolutions of Earth.
Moving at about 3.07 km/s, GOES 18 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 0.0° inclination keeps it above the tropics at all times. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 326.0°.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | geostationary/geosynchronous orbit (GEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~35,790 km × 35,797 km |
| Inclination | 0.02° |
| Orbital period | 1436.1 min (1.00 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00008 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-07 |
| COSPAR designation | 2022-021A |
| NORAD catalog number | 51850 |
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 18'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 18 from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude GOES 18 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 18 in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- LUDI TANCE 1-01B (L-SA*) (NORAD 51822)
- 2022-023A (NORAD 51946)
- 2022-023B (NORAD 51947)
- 2022-023C (NORAD 51948)
- 2022-023D (NORAD 51949)
- 2022-023E (NORAD 51950)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe