Satellite tracking depends on data — and there's a layered ecosystem of sources ranging from military tracking networks to open-data community projects.
Satellite tracking depends on data — and there's a layered ecosystem of sources ranging from military tracking networks to open-data community projects. Understanding where Orbital Radar (and every other tracker) gets its data helps you understand what you're seeing and its limitations.
Space-Track is the public interface to the US Space Force's catalogue. It's the most comprehensive freely available source of TLE data.
CelesTrak, run by Dr. T.S. Kelso, provides supplemental TLE data and curated satellite lists. It's often the first place trackers go because access is easier.
Orbital Radar aggregates data from multiple sources to provide the most complete picture possible.
Understanding this chain explains why data has latency, why some objects have stale TLEs, and why there's a gap between what military operators know and what public trackers can show.