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Space Object Directory

The Space Object Directory offers a unified public view of Resident Space Objects (RSOs) in Earth orbit. It combines registry information, estimated orbital elements, and mission descriptors to support object identification, contextual awareness, and catalog exploration. While not suitable for operational use, the directory provides useful framing for orbit analysis, risk, and public monitoring.

Object Metadata​

Each entry offers a structured snapshot of the object's identity and status:

  • Official Satellite Name
  • International Designator (COSPAR ID)
  • Catalog Number (NORAD ID)
  • Operator/Owner and country of registry
  • Estimated Orbit Regime, such as LEO or GEO
  • Mission Status: Active, Inactive, or Decayed
  • Satellite Function: Mission classification

Where available, additional attributes include spacecraft mass, dimensions, platform bus, launch site and vehicle, and regulatory filings. These details provide useful context for filtering, comparison, and object verification.

Orbital Parameters​

View trends for the latest available orbital estimate based on Two-Line Element Sets (TLEs):

  • Epoch of the TLE
  • Semi-Major Axis, Inclination, Eccentricity
  • RAAN, Argument of Perigee, Mean Anomaly
  • Mean Motion [rev/day] and Revolution Count at epoch

All state estimates are derived from publicly available TLEs and should be interpreted as coarse-fidelity orbital snapshots. Perigee and apogee altitudes are derived from the TLE and presented alongside live orbital plots and ground-track projections. These values offer a baseline for understanding object motion, altitude regime, and conjunction relevance.

Catalog Insights​

Satcat performs daily catalog-to-catalog screening using TLE data to identify potential conjunctions and assess broad orbital risk. These results are surfaced through asset Watchlists and the TLE Conjunctions tab.

Users can search and filter catalog entries by name, identifier, orbit regime, or mission status to review traffic distribution, observe altitude trends, and flag objects of interest. While maneuver plans and conjunction alerts are not part of the public record, object profiles include current activity classification and recent TLE-derived motion metrics to support basic situational awareness.

Data Sources and Visibility​

All core metadata is accessible to the public, and the content is sourced from:

  • Space-Track, DISCOS, and 18 SDS
  • EUSST surveillance feeds
  • Kayhan internal tracking data
  • Voluntary operator data marked for public use

Data sources are updated daily and do not reflect real-time object positions.

Operator Access and Claims​

Satellite owner/operators using Satcat Operations can:

  • Update owned satellite descriptions and metadata
  • Manage visibility of contact and coordination features
  • Access conjunction workflows and maneuver sharing tools
info

Operational data, conjunction alerts, event management, and maneuver planning are only available through authenticated access to Satcat Operations.