Space-Track
Space-Track General Perturbations API

Current and historical SGP4 keplerian element sets (TLE/OMM)
Documentation GitHub OpenAPI
OpenAPI Specification

openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: Space-Track Ancillary General Perturbations 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: General Perturbations
  description: Current and historical SGP4 keplerian element sets (TLE/OMM)
paths:
  /basicspacedata/query/class/gp/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query General Perturbations (GP) element sets
      description: 'Returns the newest SGP4 keplerian element sets for tracked objects. Supports TLE, 3LE, OMM XML, OMM KVN, JSON, CSV, and HTML output formats. Rate limit: 1 query per hour for TLEs.'
      operationId: queryGP
      tags:
      - General Perturbations
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Successful response with GP element sets
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/GPRecord'
              example:
              - CCSDS_OMM_VERS: '2.0'
                COMMENT: GENERATED VIA SPACE-TRACK.ORG API
                CREATION_DATE: '2024-01-15T12:00:00'
                ORIGINATOR: 18 SPCS
                OBJECT_NAME: ISS (ZARYA)
                OBJECT_ID: 1998-067A
                NORAD_CAT_ID: '25544'
                EPOCH: '2024-01-15T10:30:00'
                MEAN_MOTION: '15.49957327'
                ECCENTRICITY: '0.0001234'
                INCLINATION: '51.6395'
                RA_OF_ASC_NODE: '123.4567'
                ARG_OF_PERICENTER: '234.5678'
                MEAN_ANOMALY: '345.6789'
                EPHEMERIS_TYPE: '0'
                CLASSIFICATION_TYPE: U
                ELEMENT_SET_NO: '9999'
                REV_AT_EPOCH: '43210'
                BSTAR: '0.00001234'
                MEAN_MOTION_DOT: '0.00001234'
                MEAN_MOTION_DDOT: '0'
            text/plain:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: TLE or 3LE format text
            text/csv:
              schema:
                type: string
            application/xml:
              schema:
                type: string
                description: OMM XML format
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
      security:
      - sessionCookie: []
  /basicspacedata/query/class/gp_history/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query GP element set history
      description: 'Returns historical SGP4 element sets. Contains 138+ million element sets spanning the full history of space tracking. Rate limit: 1 query per lifetime — download once and store locally.'
      operationId: queryGPHistory
      tags:
      - General Perturbations
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Historical GP element sets
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/GPRecord'
            text/plain:
              schema:
                type: string
            text/csv:
              schema:
                type: string
            application/xml:
              schema:
                type: string
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
      security:
      - sessionCookie: []
  /basicspacedata/query/class/omm/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query OMM element sets (deprecated)
      description: DEPRECATED — use /class/gp/ instead. Returns Orbit Mean-Elements Message (OMM) data in XML format.
      operationId: queryOMM
      deprecated: true
      tags:
      - General Perturbations
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: OMM records (deprecated class, use gp instead)
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/GPRecord'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      security:
      - sessionCookie: []
  /basicspacedata/query/class/tle/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query TLE data (deprecated)
      description: DEPRECATED — use /class/gp/ instead. Returns legacy TLE format element sets.
      operationId: queryTLE
      deprecated: true
      tags:
      - General Perturbations
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: TLE records (deprecated, use gp instead)
          content:
            text/plain:
              schema:
                type: string
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      security:
      - sessionCookie: []
  /basicspacedata/query/class/tle_latest/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query latest TLE data (deprecated)
      description: DEPRECATED — use /class/gp/ instead. Returns the most recent TLE for each tracked object.
      operationId: queryTLELatest
      deprecated: true
      tags:
      - General Perturbations
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Latest TLE records (deprecated, use gp instead)
          content:
            text/plain:
              schema:
                type: string
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      security:
      - sessionCookie: []
  /basicspacedata/query/class/tle_publish/{queryParams}:
    get:
      summary: Query TLE publish timestamps (deprecated)
      description: DEPRECATED — use /class/gp/ instead. Returns TLE publication timestamps.
      operationId: queryTLEPublish
      deprecated: true
      tags:
      - General Perturbations
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/queryParams'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: TLE publish records (deprecated)
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  type: object
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      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.
  schemas:
    GPRecord:
      type: object
      description: General Perturbations (GP) orbital element set in OMM format
      properties:
        CCSDS_OMM_VERS:
          type: string
          description: CCSDS OMM version
          example: '2.0'
        COMMENT:
          type: string
          description: OMM comment field
        CREATION_DATE:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          description: Element set creation date/time in UTC
        ORIGINATOR:
          type: string
          description: Originating organization
          example: 18 SPCS
        OBJECT_NAME:
          type: string
          description: Common name of the object
          example: ISS (ZARYA)
        OBJECT_ID:
          type: string
          description: International designator (YYYY-NNNPPP)
          example: 1998-067A
        NORAD_CAT_ID:
          type: string
          description: NORAD catalog number
          example: '25544'
        OBJECT_TYPE:
          type: string
          description: Object classification
          enum:
          - PAYLOAD
          - ROCKET BODY
          - DEBRIS
          - UNKNOWN
          example: PAYLOAD
        CLASSIFICATION_TYPE:
          type: string
          description: 'Classification type: U=Unclassified'
          example: U
        INTLDES:
          type: string
          description: International designator
          example: 1998-067A
        EPHEMERIS_TYPE:
          type: string
          description: Ephemeris type (0=SGP4)
          example: '0'
        ELEMENT_SET_NO:
          type: string
          description: Element set number
          example: '9999'
        EPOCH:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          description: Epoch of the element set in UTC
          example: '2024-01-15T10:30:00'
        MEAN_MOTION:
          type: string
          description: Mean motion in revolutions per day
          example: '15.49957327'
        ECCENTRICITY:
          type: string
          description: Orbital eccentricity (dimensionless)
          example: '0.0001234'
        INCLINATION:
          type: string
          description: Orbital inclination in degrees
          example: '51.6395'
        RA_OF_ASC_NODE:
          type: string
          description: Right ascension of ascending node in degrees
          example: '123.4567'
        ARG_OF_PERICENTER:
          type: string
          description: Argument of pericenter in degrees
          example: '234.5678'
        MEAN_ANOMALY:
          type: string
          description: Mean anomaly in degrees
          example: '345.6789'
        MEAN_MOTION_DOT:
          type: string
          description: First derivative of mean motion (rev/day^2)
          example: '0.00001234'
        MEAN_MOTION_DDOT:
          type: string
          description: Second derivative of mean motion (rev/day^3)
          example: '0'
        BSTAR:
          type: string
          description: BSTAR drag term (earth radii^-1)
          example: '0.00001234'
        REV_AT_EPOCH:
          type: string
          description: Revolution number at epoch
          example: '43210'
        SEMIMAJOR_AXIS:
          type: string
          description: Semi-major axis in km
        PERIOD:
          type: string
          description: Orbital period in minutes
        APOGEE:
          type: string
          description: Apogee altitude in km
        PERIGEE:
          type: string
          description: Perigee altitude in km
        DECAY_DATE:
          type: string
          format: date
          description: Date of decay/reentry (null if still in orbit)
        FILE:
          type: string
          description: Internal file identifier
        GP_ID:
          type: string
          description: Unique GP record identifier
        TLE_LINE0:
          type: string
          description: TLE line 0 (object name, only in TLE/3LE format)
        TLE_LINE1:
          type: string
          description: TLE line 1 (69 characters)
          example: 1 25544U 98067A   24015.43750000  .00020137  00000-0  16538-3 0  9993
        TLE_LINE2:
          type: string
          description: TLE line 2 (69 characters)
          example: 2 25544  51.6395 123.4567 0001234 234.5678 345.6789 15.49957327 43210
  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/
  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
Space-Track General Perturbations API

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