This is a map of publicly cataloged objects with usable orbital elements, not every object in space. Small, untracked, classified, and missing objects are not shown.
What the positions mean
Positions are estimates propagated from public mean orbital elements using the SGP4/SDP4 model in satellite.js. They are not live measurements. Element age, maneuvers, atmospheric drag, and catalog errors affect accuracy; no per-object position uncertainty is supplied.
The scene uses the TEME inertial frame. Earth rotates using Greenwich mean sidereal time; latitude, longitude, and altitude use the library’s Earth-fixed/geodetic conversion. Orbit curves sample one predicted revolution from the displayed time, not ground tracks. The sun direction is approximate. Object dots are enlarged for visibility, not to scale.
Onboard & inspection views
Onboard places the camera at the selected object’s propagated SGP4 position. Up is radial away from Earth, and forward follows velocity projected onto the local horizon. This is a constructed viewing frame, not measured spacecraft attitude, a camera feed, or a sensor simulation. Drag to look around; pinch or use the zoom buttons to change field of view. Inspection follows the same position and lets you circle a generic schematic. Schematics are enlarged, not to scale, and do not reproduce the selected object’s actual geometry or attitude.
Catalog & classification
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Payload does not mean operational. Rocket bodies and debris are separate classifications; unknown entries remain unknown. Orbital-region filters are approximate: LEO mean altitude below 2,000 km; GEO near a sidereal-day period (20–28 hours); other orbits are grouped as MEO/HEO.
Freshness & safe use
Elements over 7 days from the displayed time are marked aged; over 30 days are very stale. These are interface warnings, not accuracy guarantees. Time exploration is limited to ±30 days around the snapshot and is extrapolation from these elements, not a historical ephemeris. Failed or decayed SGP4 states are excluded. This explorer is for education and situational awareness, not collision avoidance, navigation, or operational decisions.
The bundled snapshot does not require live provider access.
Refresh uses a direct, unauthenticated request from your browser. CelesTrak GP updates are requested at most once every two hours. A browser or provider restriction leaves the existing snapshot intact. Newly fetched objects without known SATCAT metadata are marked unknown.