Operational Data
Operators use Satcat Operations to upload ephemeris for their assets, enabling real-time conjunction screening, mitigation planning, and intent signaling. When shared with appropriate metadata, this operational data forms the foundation for high-confidence collision risk assessments and coordination with other operators.
Operational Ephemeris
An ephemeris becomes Operational when it is designated as the official, predicted trajectory an operator intends to follow. Satcat uses this data to:
- Update conjunction event risk metrics
- Surface Mitigation Intent to other operators
- Inform autonomous or manual maneuver planning
Ephemeris files are managed through the Ephemeris Repository.
Metadata Fields
Operational ephemeris may include metadata to indicate its role and context:
Context
Describes the purpose of the uploaded trajectory.
| API Value | Description | Mitigation Intent Status |
|---|---|---|
ROUTINE | Nominal orbit prediction | "I am NOT intending to mitigate" |
MAINTENANCE | Orbit maintenance maneuvers | "I am intending to mitigate" |
COLA | Collision avoidance maneuver plan | "I am intending to mitigate" |
NOVEL | Uncataloged or temporary asset trajectory | "Intent undetermined" |
DECAY | Deorbit or end-of-life prediction | "Intent undetermined" |
NULL | No Context value provided | "Intent undetermined" |
Designation
Defines the role of the data itself.
| API Value | Description |
|---|---|
OPERATIONAL | Official trajectory, directly from the operator |
PREDICTIVE | Third-party tracker, predicted trajectory |
DEFINITIVE | Reconstructed past trajectory (often smoothed GNSS) |
THEORETICAL | Simulated ephemeris or maneuver planning scenario |
NULL | No Designation value provided |
Ephemeris designated as OPERATIONAL or PREDICTIVE are used to update conjunction assessments and surface operator intent. Ephemeris without this designation is treated as private and used for internal analysis only.
Mitigation Intent Signaling
When ephemeris with appropriate metadata is uploaded, Satcat automatically infers the asset's intent and updates the corresponding conjunction event with a status of:
- Intending to mitigate
- Not intending to mitigate
- Intent undetermined
This intent status helps operators asynchronously align on maneuver responsibility without needing to coordinate in real time.
Intent status is visible to other operators only when both parties are opted into Coordinated Spaceflight Safety.
CDM Types and Risk Assessment
Satcat groups CDMs into two categories:
-
Operational CDMs
Generated usingOPERATIONALephemeris uploaded by operators. These are the most accurate risk assessments and are suitable for real-time coordination and mitigation planning. -
Theoretical CDMs
Generated using non-operational ephemeris or simulation scenarios (e.g., maneuver plans). These are used for what-if analysis but are not shared externally unless paired with a corresponding operational designation.
Theoretical CDMs are not visible to other organizations unless the underlying data source is operational.
Derived Data Products
Operational CDM reports include only the state vector and covariance at TCA derived from operator-uploaded ephemeris. No raw ephemeris files are ever shared between organizations.
These derived values are used to generate:
- Updated Probability of Collision
- Miss distance and directional uncertainty
- Mahalanobis distance and risk trend data
Derived data is labeled with KAYHAN as the CDM originator and is used in the Conjunction Event page timeline and geometry tools.
Operational CDM Reports
Satcat generates operational CDM reports by recomputing risk metrics using the latest OPERATIONAL ephemeris. These reports:
- Are published under the originator
KAYHAN - Include derived data from the operator's most recent upload
- Are visible to the other party only if both organizations are opted-in
If only one operator is opted-in, they will receive their own Operational CDM reports, but no bilateral data will be shared.
For more, see: