Low · LEO
Close to Earth, these orbits host stations, many Earth-observation satellites and some communication networks.
Universum · Catalogues
The satellite catalogue
Watching Earth, connecting continents and exploring the Universe: discover satellites and their missions.
28 reference satellites
An initial documented selection of artificial Earth satellites, from pioneers to modern missions. Each record describes an identified satellite or station, not an entire constellation. This is not an inventory of every object in orbit.
The planetarium displays clickable satellite markers when recent orbital elements are available, within ±3 days of their epoch. An editorial entry does not guarantee a calculated position. Reentered satellites remain included for their history.
Understanding orbits
Medium · MEO
Higher than low Earth orbits, this family is notably used for satellite navigation.
Geostationary · GEO
Around 35,786 km above the equator, a satellite follows Earth’s rotation and appears fixed in the sky.
Highly elliptical · HEO
A strongly elongated path used for some scientific observations. The distance from Earth varies greatly.
Explore the satellites
28 reference satellites
No satellite matches these criteria.
Orbital presence does not establish whether a satellite is operational. “Unverified” does not mean “still in orbit”. The orbit shown describes the mission orbit, not necessarily the present trajectory.
Pioneers · 1957
Sputnik 1
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- URSS / OKB-1
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
The first artificial Earth satellite. Its radio signals marked the beginning of the space age.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 1960
TIROS 1
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
An early weather satellite. Its cameras demonstrated the value of cloud images from space.
Current situation unverified
Communications · 1964
Syncom 3
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
An experimental geostationary communications satellite. It helped establish relay links fixed above the equator.
Current situation unverified
Communications · 1965
Intelsat I · Early Bird
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- COMSAT / Intelsat
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A commercial transatlantic communications satellite. It relayed telephone calls and television programmes.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 1972
Landsat 1
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA / USGS
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Landsat 1 belongs to the land observation programme. Its images help study changes in landscapes.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 1977
Meteosat 1
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- ESA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Meteosat 1 represents a generation of European weather satellites. It observes Earth from geostationary orbit.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 1984
Landsat 5
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA / USGS
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Landsat 5 belongs to the land observation programme. Its images help study changes in landscapes.
Current situation unverified
Communications · 1988
ASTRA 1A
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- SES · Luxembourg
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A Luxembourg broadcasting satellite. Its mission used the geostationary position at 19.2° East to distribute television and radio.
Current situation unverified
Science and astronomy · 1990
Hubble
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A space telescope launched aboard Discovery. It observes the Universe above most of Earth’s atmosphere.
Current situation unverified
Space stations · 1998
ISS · Zarya
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA / Roscosmos / ESA / JAXA / CSA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- 25544
- COSPAR
- 1998-067A
The International Space Station was assembled in orbit. The date and identifiers refer to Zarya, its first module.
Current situation unverified
Science and astronomy · 1999
Chandra
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA
- Reference orbit
- Highly elliptical · HEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
An X-ray space observatory. Its highly elliptical orbit enables long observations of energetic phenomena in the Universe.
Current situation unverified
Science and astronomy · 1999
XMM-Newton
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- ESA
- Reference orbit
- Highly elliptical · HEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A European X-ray observatory. It studies stars, galaxies and matter under extreme conditions.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 2009
NOAA 19
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NOAA / NASA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- 2009-005A
A weather satellite in polar orbit. Its instruments measure clouds and atmospheric properties.
Current situation unverified
Navigation · 2011
Galileo IOV 1
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- Union européenne / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Medium · MEO
- NORAD
- 37846
- COSPAR
- 2011-060A
One of the first two Galileo in-orbit validation satellites. It supports testing of the European positioning system.
Current situation unverified
Navigation · 2011
Galileo IOV 2
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- Union européenne / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Medium · MEO
- NORAD
- 37847
- COSPAR
- 2011-060B
One of the first two Galileo in-orbit validation satellites. It supports testing of the European positioning system.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2013
Landsat 8
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA / USGS
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Landsat 8 belongs to the land observation programme. Its images help study changes in landscapes.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2014
Sentinel-1A
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- Union européenne / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A Copernicus radar mission. It observes land and oceans through clouds, by day and night.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2015
Sentinel-2A
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- Union européenne / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A Copernicus multispectral imaging satellite. It is designed to monitor vegetation, soils and inland waters.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 2015
Meteosat 11
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- EUMETSAT / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Meteosat 11 represents a generation of European weather satellites. It observes Earth from geostationary orbit.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2016
Sentinel-3A
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- Union européenne / ESA / EUMETSAT
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A Copernicus satellite dedicated to oceans and land. It measures surface temperature and colour, among other properties.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 2016
GOES 16
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NOAA / NASA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
GOES 16 belongs to the GOES-R weather satellite series. A geostationary orbit enables regular observations of the same region.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 2018
GOES 17
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NOAA / NASA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
GOES 17 belongs to the GOES-R weather satellite series. A geostationary orbit enables regular observations of the same region.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2018
Sentinel-3B
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- Union européenne / ESA / EUMETSAT
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
A Copernicus satellite dedicated to oceans and land. It measures surface temperature and colour, among other properties.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2020
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- EUMETSAT / ESA / NASA / NOAA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
An international ocean altimetry mission. Its radar measures ocean surface height to track sea level.
Current situation unverified
Space stations · 2021
Tiangong · Tianhe
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- CMSA
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- 48274
- COSPAR
- 2021-035A
Tianhe is the core module of China’s Tiangong station. The date and identifiers refer to this first module.
Current situation unverified
Earth observation · 2021
Landsat 9
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NASA / USGS
- Reference orbit
- Low · LEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Landsat 9 belongs to the land observation programme. Its images help study changes in landscapes.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 2022
GOES 18
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- NOAA / NASA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
GOES 18 belongs to the GOES-R weather satellite series. A geostationary orbit enables regular observations of the same region.
Current situation unverified
Weather · 2022
Meteosat 12
- Launch
- Operator / programme
- EUMETSAT / ESA
- Reference orbit
- Geostationary · GEO
- NORAD
- Not recorded
- COSPAR
- Not recorded
Meteosat 12 represents a generation of European weather satellites. It observes Earth from geostationary orbit.
Current situation unverified
Sources and credits
Dates and missions are documented by the agencies and operators linked in each record. Images are individually credited; photographs and artist’s concepts are distinguished and shown without cropping.
Documentation checked on 23 October 2026