OrbitalWiki vs Space-Track.org
The U.S. Space Force catalog, and the origin of most public orbital data. Free to use, but you must register and be approved before you can query it.
Side by side with Space-Track.org
| Feature | OrbitalWiki | Space-Track.org |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | OrbitalWiki | U.S. Space Force, 18th Space Defense Squadron |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Machine-readable API | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk download | Yes | Yes |
| Free limit | No key needed to read; 1,000 requests a day with a free key | Under 30 requests a minute and 300 an hour; orbital data once an hour |
| Data terms | ODbL-1.0, attribution required | US Government terms; element sets and the catalog may be redistributed with citation |
| Per-field source shown | Yes | No |
Provider documentation checked 2026-08-03.
When to use Space-Track.org instead
When you need the official record, decay predictions, or history that only the catalog owner holds. Space-Track is the origin of the data almost everyone else redistributes, and it publishes classes of information no downstream site has. The cost is registration and approval.
Go to Space-Track.orgWhen this catalog helps
When you cannot or would rather not register, or when you are redistributing to people who cannot. Read access here needs no key and no approval, and the data is under an open licence, so you can put it in a public app without asking anyone first.
Common questions
- Can I use Space-Track without an account?
- No. Space-Track requires registration and approval before any query, including through its API.
- Is Space-Track data free to redistribute?
- Its terms restrict passing data to third parties, but blanket approval has been granted for redistributing the basic items, element sets and the satellite catalog, when they are properly cited.
- What does OrbitalWiki offer that Space-Track does not?
- Reconciled identity across catalogs, per-field provenance, and open access with no registration. It does not offer decay predictions or the official record.