NOAA 12

Satellite information

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Satellite Type and Status

PAYLOADIN ORBIT

Key statistics

Satellite NOAA 12 at a glance.

Uptime

12633

Days in orbit

Revolutions

≈ 14.3

Per day

Orbit

SSO

Sun Synchronous Orbit

Inclination

98.6

Latest

Satellite identification and parameters

Extended collection of information and parameters for NOAA 12.

Object identification

Identified? True

Debris? False

Object name: NOAA 12

International designator: 1991-032A

Object number (NORAD): 21263

Object ID (CCSDS): 21263

Country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US)

Current information (Y/N): Y

RCS size: LARGE

Orbital parameters

Period: 100.933 minutes

Inclination: 98.605 deg

SMA: 7180.977 km

Apoapsis: 812.2 km

Periapsis: 793.484 km

RAAN: 332.5933 deg

Eccentricy: 0.00130316

Argument of periapsis: 210.905 deg

Mean anomaly: 149.1365 deg

Mean motion: 14.26682934 rev/day

Mean motion (dot): 0.00000214 rev/day²

B* drag term: 0.00010621857 1/R_Earth

Two-line elements (TLE)

Creation date: Dec. 12, 2025, 10:14 a.m.

Reference frame: TEME

Reference center: EARTH

Epoch: Dec. 12, 2025, 3:48 a.m. UTC

TLE line 0: 0 NOAA 12

TLE line 1: 1 21263U 91032A 25346.15898034 .00000214 00000-0 10622-3 0 9998

TLE line 2: 2 21263 98.6050 332.5933 0013032 210.9050 149.1365 14.26682934798297

Live tracking on map

Real-time ground track for satellite NOAA 12.

In-orbit conjunctions

A list of the most updated potential collisions computed for object NOAA 12.

Target	Orbit	TCA	Probability of collision	Miss distance	Type
SL-12 R/B(2)	LEO	2025-12-07 20:34:25	0.0002069778	664.0 (m)	ROCKET BODY
NOAA 16 DEB	SSO	2025-09-06 03:28:22	0.0001037411	488.0 (m)	DEBRIS
METEOR 2-8 DEB	LEO	2025-08-24 04:56:37	0.0001199599	880.0 (m)	DEBRIS
NOAA 16 DEB	SSO	2025-03-09 10:32:39	0.0002997465	55.0 (m)	DEBRIS
IRIDIUM 33 DEB	LEO	2025-01-24 06:15:10	0.0001314395	1000.0 (m)	DEBRIS

Associated space launch

Fourth generation NOAA meteorological satellite

NOAA 12 was lifted into orbit during the mission ‘Atlas E | NOAA 12’, on board a Atlas E space rocket.

The launch took place on May 14, 1991, 3:52 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 3W.

For more information about the launch, click the button.

Atlas E | NOAA 12

Agency: N/A

Status: Launch Successful

Launch date: May 14, 1991, 3:52 p.m. UTC

Rocket: Atlas E

Launch pad: Space Launch Complex 3W

Location: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

...

Go to the launch

Latest news about this satellite

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