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MERIDIAN-M 21L — Live Satellite Tracking (NORAD 68571)
Track MERIDIAN-M 21L (NORAD catalog number 68571) 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 2026, launched on the 71st orbital launch of that year (COSPAR designation 2026-071A). As of this element set it had completed roughly 315 revolutions of Earth.
Its speed swings from 1.59 km/s at apogee to 9.45 km/s at perigee. MERIDIAN-M 21L follows a highly elliptical orbit, completing a revolution every 12.0 hours. The orbit is strongly elliptical (eccentricity 0.7125): each revolution swings from 1,265 km at perigee out to 39,106 km at apogee. Inclined 62.8° to the equator, it overflies every latitude up to about 63° north and south. Its orbital plane crosses the equator northbound at right ascension 218.0°. Earth's equatorial bulge drifts that plane westward about 0.13° per day.
Orbital elements
| Orbit regime | highly elliptical orbit (HEO) |
|---|---|
| Perigee × apogee altitude | ~1,265 km × 39,106 km |
| Inclination | 62.83° |
| Orbital period | 717.8 min (2.01 rev/day) |
| Eccentricity | 0.71247 |
| Element set epoch | 2026-09-06 |
| COSPAR designation | 2026-071A |
| NORAD catalog number | 68571 |
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
MERIDIAN-M 21L 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 MERIDIAN-M 21L from the ground?
Not with the naked eye. At its altitude MERIDIAN-M 21L 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 MERIDIAN-M 21L in the Other Active Satellites group — usually craft from the same or adjacent launches:
- KUIPER-00131 (NORAD 68573)
- KUIPER-00189 (NORAD 68574)
- KUIPER-00192 (NORAD 68575)
- KUIPER-00193 (NORAD 68576)
- KUIPER-00194 (NORAD 68577)
- KUIPER-00229 (NORAD 68578)
Browse the Other Active Satellites directory or the full satellite directory · What is a TLE? · WatchSat live globe