SATELLITE TRACKER GUIDE
SWIFT: Understanding This Live Orbit Page
This page tracks SWIFT (NORAD 28485) from the current orbital-element data available to SpaceTracker.live. The map above is a calculated SGP4 position rather than a direct telemetry feed from the spacecraft. Latitude and longitude show the sub-satellite point, while altitude, speed and the orbital-data panel describe the propagated state.
Orbit profile for this catalog record
The public element set lists 16.3337 revolutions per day, corresponding to an estimated period of 88.16 minutes (1,440 minutes divided by mean motion). Inclination is 20.544° relative to Earth’s equator and describes the tilt of the orbital plane. Eccentricity is 0.0004514; values nearer 0 describe a more circular orbit, while larger values describe a more elongated one.
How the current position is calculated
General-perturbations orbital elements describe an Earth orbit at a stated epoch. SpaceTracker.live applies the SGP4 propagation model to estimate where the object should be at the current time, then converts the calculated Earth-centred state into the geographic position shown on the map. The orbit line is a prediction from that model, not a trail transmitted by the satellite.
The element set currently cached for this page has an epoch of 2026-11-03T21:22:35.591808. Newer elements can change future positions, especially for low-altitude or manoeuvring spacecraft.
Reading the orbital fields
Inclination describes how strongly the orbital plane is tilted relative to Earth's equator. Eccentricity describes the shape of the orbit, while mean motion expresses how many revolutions are completed per day. These fields work together; no single number completely describes an orbit.
The element set for this object reports eccentricity 0.0004514. Treat this as part of the complete fitted orbital model rather than as a stand-alone measure of position.
Use your observer location
Set an observer position to calculate azimuth, elevation and range. Azimuth is the compass direction, elevation is the angle above the geometric horizon, and range is the straight-line distance from you to the spacecraft. The seven-day pass panel then finds geometric rise, maximum-elevation and set events for this object.
A geometric pass is not automatically visible to the naked eye. Illumination, spacecraft size, attitude, weather, local obstructions and sky brightness all affect visibility.
Explore related tools
Find satellites above your location, use Satellite Pass Predictions, browse the Satellite Directory, or read how SpaceTracker.live performs its calculations.
Data source and limitations
Earth-orbit tracking depends on public orbital data and mathematical propagation. Network delays, stale elements, manoeuvres and normal model uncertainty can create differences from an operator's current state estimate. Catalog presence also does not by itself confirm that a payload is operational.
- CelesTrak: GP orbital-data formats and SGP4 context
- CelesTrak: current public GP record for NORAD 28485
Educational-use note: This tracker is not suitable for navigation, collision avoidance, spacecraft operations or other safety-critical decisions.