Of course you can use your own internal numbering system, but you
need to make sure you use a well maintained cross-reference list to
link your numbers to the 'official' Catalog Numbers.

But there are other matters to consider.

Catalog Numbers from 80000 to 99999 (or even 70000 to 99999) will
not be assigned to new objects by 18 SPCS because these numbers are
already in use for other purposes. And since a new, more sensitive radar
is in use, many smaller objects are now detected. As a result 18 SPCS
will run out of available Catalog Numbers before long.

The chosen solution is to switch from 5 digit Catalog Numbers to 9 digit
Catalog Numbers. That means that the classic Two Line Element format
cannot be used anymore. Therefore a couple of new formats are being
made available now, including XML, KVN, JSON, JSON PP and CSV.

For further information see this page:
http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php

Authors of satellite tracking programs and other users of orbital parameters
are urged to update their programs so that they can use at least one of the
new available formats.

You can already download orbital parameters in the new formats from
Space-Track.org and CelesTrak.com now. See e.g. this page:
http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/gp-index.php

For the time being orbital parameters will still be available in the TLE (2le/3le)
format. But it is inevitable that the TLE format will be abandoned when no
more free 5 digit Catalog Numbers are available anymore.

73,
Nico PA0DLO

On 22-01-2021 22:35, Corey Shields wrote:

On Fri, Jan 22, 2021 at 12:37 PM Zach Metzinger <zmetzing@pobox.com> wrote:

SatNOGS thinks it is NORAD ID 99758:

https://db.satnogs.org/satellite/99758


99xxx is what we have been assigning to a new satellite in SatNOGS before it has a proper NORAD ID or we otherwise identify it as one of the tracked OBJECTs after launch. It will be changed to one of the 473xx IDs in SatNOGS once identified.

Its a hack for a problem not quite anticipated when the initial apps were designed to use NORAD ID as the primary identifier: being that there's a lag between launch and identification whereas we want to use the information and schedule observations right away. It is also a hack that does not scale as we will trip over ourselves when NORAD IDs hit the 99000's.

From a data perspective there are some other challenges in normalizing on NORAD as a primary identifier in SatNOGS as well, as the association is with a singular object in orbit where we'd like to broaden the information to include pre-launch objects, and organizing data around individual components or satellites that start off as one only becomes feasible once they've separated (ie: prox-1/lightsail-2) and we risk certain items of historical data being lost when combined (all things ISS). So with that we've tossed around the idea of Yet Another Identifier that we'll likely implement early this year. Forum thread with the details, ideas, and gitlab issue is here (and we welcome input from others): https://community.libre.space/t/unique-satellite-identifier-definition-in-satnogs/2970/1  The intent is not to create another identifier to confuse the world with, but internally we need to shift away from NORAD as the primary identifier. If it is of any benefit to use externally, that's welcome, but not the driver.

anyway, that's a bit of the sausage-making.

P.S. SatNOGS is awesome! I really need to get my station operational.

:)

We always need more stations, programmers, and enthusiasts! Find us in the forums linked above, or on Matrix chat in #satnogs:matrix.org

--
Corey Shields

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