Space-Track Decay Predictions API

openapi: 3.2.0
info:
  title: Space-Track Decay Predictions API
  description: US military space surveillance REST API operated by the 18th Space Control Squadron. Provides Two-Line Element (TLE) sets, conjunction data messages, orbital element sets, satellite catalog data, and decay predictions for all tracked Earth-orbiting objects and debris.
  version: 1.0.0
  contact:
    name: Space-Track Support
    url: https://www.space-track.org/contactus/
  termsOfService: https://www.space-track.org/documentation#user-agreement
  x-logo:
    url: https://www.space-track.org/favicon.ico
servers:
- url: https://www.space-track.org
  description: Space-Track production server
tags:
- name: Decay Predictions
  description: Satellite reentry and decay predictions
paths:
  /basicspacedata/query/class/decay/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query decay predictions
      description: 'Returns satellite reentry/decay predictions and historical decay data. Rate limit: 1 query per day. Download once and store locally; query with MSG_EPOCH>now-1 for updates.'
      operationId: queryDecay
      tags:
      - Decay Predictions
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Decay prediction records
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/DecayRecord'
              example:
              - NORAD_CAT_ID: '12345'
                OBJECT_NAME: DEBRIS 12345
                INTLDES: 2010-025B
                OBJECT_ID: 2010-025B
                RCS: '0.1'
                RCS_SIZE: SMALL
                COUNTRY: US
                MSG_EPOCH: '2024-01-10T00:00:00'
                DECAY_EPOCH: '2024-01-15T00:00:00'
                SOURCE: 18 SPCS
                MSG_TYPE: Predicted
                PRECEDENCE: '5'
            text/csv:
              schema:
                type: string
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
      security:
      - sessionCookie: []
components:
  responses:
    Unauthorized:
      description: Authentication required. Login at /ajaxauth/login first to obtain a session cookie.
    RateLimited:
      description: Rate limit exceeded. Maximum 30 requests per minute or 300 per hour globally. Per-class rate limits also apply.
  parameters:
    queryParams:
      name: queryParams
      in: path
      required: false
      description: 'Flexible REST query path segments. Format: /FIELD/VALUE/FIELD2/VALUE2/format/FORMAT/. Supports operators: range (--), greater-than (%3E), less-than (%3C), null (null-val), comma lists. Example: /NORAD_CAT_ID/25544/format/json/'
      schema:
        type: string
        default: ''
        example: NORAD_CAT_ID/25544/format/json/
  schemas:
    DecayRecord:
      type: object
      description: Satellite decay/reentry prediction record
      properties:
        NORAD_CAT_ID:
          type: string
          description: NORAD catalog number
          example: '12345'
        OBJECT_NAME:
          type: string
          description: Object name
          example: DEBRIS 12345
        INTLDES:
          type: string
          description: International designator
          example: 2010-025B
        OBJECT_ID:
          type: string
          description: Object identifier
          example: 2010-025B
        RCS:
          type: string
          description: Radar cross-section value (m^2)
        RCS_SIZE:
          type: string
          description: RCS size category
          enum:
          - SMALL
          - MEDIUM
          - LARGE
        COUNTRY:
          type: string
          description: Country of origin
        MSG_EPOCH:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          description: Message epoch (when prediction was issued)
          example: '2024-01-10T00:00:00'
        DECAY_EPOCH:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          description: Predicted decay/reentry date-time
          example: '2024-01-15T00:00:00'
        SOURCE:
          type: string
          description: Source of the decay prediction
          example: 18 SPCS
        MSG_TYPE:
          type: string
          description: Message type
          enum:
          - Predicted
          - Penetration
          - Decayed
          example: Predicted
        PRECEDENCE:
          type: string
          description: Message precedence level
  securitySchemes:
    sessionCookie:
      type: apiKey
      in: cookie
      name: chocolatechip
      description: Session cookie obtained by POSTing credentials to /ajaxauth/login
x-query-guide:
  syntax: 'REST queries use path segments: /class/{class}/FIELD/VALUE/format/FORMAT/'
  operators:
    exact: /FIELD/VALUE/
    range: /FIELD/START--END/
    greaterThan: /FIELD/%3EVALUE/
    lessThan: /FIELD/%3CVALUE/
    commaList: /FIELD/V1,V2,V3/
    nullValue: /FIELD/null-val/
    notNull: /FIELD/null-val/exclude/
  formats:
  - json
  - csv
  - xml
  - html
  - tle
  - 3le
  - kvn
  commonFilters:
    currentEpoch: EPOCH/%3Enow-30
    specificObject: NORAD_CAT_ID/25544
    multipleObjects: NORAD_CAT_ID/25544,43873,44506
    catalogRange: NORAD_CAT_ID/25000--26000
    recentMessages: MSG_EPOCH/%3Enow-1