URGENT: We will run out of 5-digit catalog numbers
at
69999 not 99999,
which is estimated
to occur around 2026‑07‑20 (we're currently at 68765).
At that point, newly cataloged objects will have 6-digit catalog numbers of 100000+ and GP data will
not be available for them using the TLE format.
CelesTrak developed new formats that removed this
limitation (and finally fixed the Y2K problem) in May 2020 and immediately began providing GP data in those formats for software developers.
The same limitations apply to the legacy fixed-field SATCAT.
Follow @TSKelso on Bluesky for the latest updates, tutorials,
and changes as we approach this transition. Spread the word!‑ TS
How to Perform SupGP Queries
by Dr. T.S. Kelso 2022 Jun 19 Updated 2025 Jan 8
Background
Just like with standard GP queries, users may now use standard queries to extract data from the Supplemental GP (SupGP) data.
CATNR: Catalog Number (1 to 9 digits). Allows return of data for a single catalog number.
INTDES: International Designator (yyyy-nnn). Allows return of data for all objects associated with a particular launch.
SOURCE: Input source of data for groups of satellites provided on the CelesTrak SupGP data page. These groups are based on the DATA_SOURCE:
AST-E (AST SpaceMobile Ephemeris
CPF (Consolidated Laser Ranging Predictions)
CSS-E (CSS Ephemeris)
GLONASS-RE (GLONASS Rapid Ephemeris)
GPS-A (GPS Almanac)
GPS-E (GPS Ephemeris)
Intelsat-11P (Intelsat 11-Parameter Data)
Intelsat-E (Intelsat Epehemeris)
Iridium-E (Iridium Ephemeris)
ISS-E (ISS Ephemeris)
ISS-TLE (ISS TLE [legacy data])
Kuiper-E (Kuiper Ephemeris)
METEOSAT-SV (METEOSAT State Vector)
OneWeb-E (OneWeb Ephemeris)
Orbcomm-TLE (Orbcomm-Provided SupTLE)
Planet-E (Planet Ephemeris)
SES-11P (SES 11-Parameter Data)
SES-E (SES Ephemeris)
SpaceX-E (SpaceX Ephemeris)
SpaceX-SV (SpaceX State Vectors)
Telesat-E (Telesat Ephemeris)
Transporter-SV (Transporter State Vectors)
Bandwagon-SV (Bandwagon State Vectors)
NAME: Satellite Name. Allows searching for satellites by parts of their name.
SPECIAL: Special data sets for the GEO Protected Zone (GPZ) or GPZ Plus.
FILE: Name of the standard data sets on the SupGP page (e.g., starlink, oneweb, planet). Easiest way to get the current pre-launch data for specific Starlink or Transporter launches (e.g., starlink-g4-22).
Allowed formats are:
TLE or 3LE: Three-line element sets.
2LE: Two-line element sets (no satellite name on Line 0).
XML: OMM XML format including all mandatory elements.
KVN: OMM KVN format including all mandatory elements.
JSON: OMM keywords for all GP elements in JSON format.
JSON-PRETTY: OMM keywords for all GP elements in JSON pretty-print format.
CSV: OMM keywords for all GP elements in CSV format.
The FORMAT specification is optional, but defaults to TLE (to support legacy queries).
Unlike in the standard GP queries, it is possible to get multiple SupGP elements for a single object. That is because some objects have data produced by multiple sources (e.g., with the CPF data) or because there is data for multiple epochs.
In the CPF data, multiple observatories track objects and produce predictions for ILRS satellites. That data shows the CPF name with the 3-character prediction center in brackets as the OBJECT_NAME.
The ISS ephemeris, which spans two weeks, is broken into 6-hour segments to best represent changes due to drag or ISS maneuvers.
The Intelsat data includes weekly updates along with post-maneuver [PM] updates (if applicable), so there may be weekly/post-maneuver/weekly data for the same object.
It is important that users use the appropriate data when multiple epochs are available. SupGP data is fitted from the current epoch forward, as opposed to GP data where that is fit to past observations.