Orbital Data APIModern REST API for satellite GP record integration

Current and historical orbital data for every tracked object, with time-point queries no other API offers. Built for developers who need reliable satellite data in their applications.

Get Your Free API Key Explore the Catalog

Get started in 60 seconds

  1. Sign up at /account — instant, no approval wait
  2. Copy your API key from the dashboard
  3. Add X-Api-Key to your requests
$ curl -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
    /api/v1/gp/25544
167M+
Historical Element Sets
68,151
Cataloged Objects
27,032
Active Satellites
1959
Records Back To

Capabilities

Historical Archive

167M+ element sets back to 1959 — the full arc of the Space Age. Query by time range, find the nearest element set to any epoch, or get the bracketing pair around a specific event — with nearest-epoch and adjacent-pair queries you won't find elsewhere.

Current GP Data

Latest general perturbations data for 27,000+ tracked objects, updated daily from Space-Track. Full OMM records with derived orbital parameters — period, apogee, perigee, semi-major axis.

Satellite Catalog

68K+ objects with launch info, orbit regime, type, and status.

6 Output Formats

JSON, 3LE, TLE, CSV, OMM-XML, and OMM-KVN. All free for all users.

Live Explorer

Browse the catalog in your browser. No API key needed.

Free & Open

No ads, no tracking, no vendor lock-in. Open to all.

What you can do

Full history of any object

Browse the complete orbital history of any tracked satellite — page through years of element sets or filter by date range. Check available coverage with the range endpoint first.

GET /gp/25544/history?start=2024-01-01&end=2024-12-31
Point-in-time query

Find the element set closest to any moment in history — or get the bracketing pair before and after an event for interpolation.

GET /gp/25544/nearest?epoch=2024-06-15T12:00:00Z
Full-sky snapshot

Get the nearest element set for every tracked object at a given epoch. One request returns the entire catalog — filtered by orbit type or object class.

GET /gp/epoch?epoch=2024-06-15T00:00:00Z&orbit_regime=LEO
Any format you need

Every endpoint supports JSON, 3LE, TLE, CSV, OMM-XML, and OMM-KVN. Use the format parameter or Accept header — no extra configuration needed.

GET /gp/25544?format=tle

Live Data — ISS (ZARYA) #25544

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need this API? Isn't there Space-Track.org?

Space-Track.org is the authoritative source — but it requires a manual account approval process, imposes restrictive rate limits, and exposes a complex legacy API with inconsistent formats. Orbital Data API sits on top of the same government data and provides instant access, a clean REST interface, all major output formats, and a historical archive with time-point queries that Space-Track doesn't offer.

Where does the data come from, and how far back does it go?

All orbital data originates from United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) via Space-Track.org — the same catalog used by NASA, ESA, and international space agencies. Coverage spans 1959 to present, with 167M+ historical element sets across 68,000+ tracked objects including active satellites, rocket bodies, and debris.

Is it really free?

Yes. The free tier includes 30,000 requests/month, full historical archive access with no date range restrictions, and all six output formats (JSON, TLE, 3LE, CSV, OMM-XML, OMM-KVN). No credit card required — sign up with an email address and get an API key instantly. The project is funded by the community via GitHub Sponsors.

How often is the data updated?

The catalog is ingested daily from USSPACECOM, typically 12–24 hours behind live tracking. This reflects the cadence of the official source — elements are updated as new radar observations are processed. Not suitable for real-time tracking, but ideal for historical analysis, orbital propagation, and predictive modeling. Current data freshness is always visible on the Status page.

Where can I find the full API documentation?

Complete endpoint reference, query parameters, format examples, and rate limit details are in the API Documentation. The API follows standard REST conventions — any HTTP client works. Have a question not covered there? Reach out and we'll help.