CelesTrak GP API
Current elements for any satellite or group, in TLE or the newer OMM (Orbit Mean-elements Message) format.
- Source
- https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/gp.php?GROUP=amateur&FORMAT=json
- Access
- Public, no key. Requested courtesy: fetch a given set at most every 2 hours.
- Format
- TLE, 2LE, 3LE, XML, KVN, JSON, JSON-PRETTY, CSV
Schema
| Field | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| OBJECT_NAME | string | Catalog name, e.g. SAUDISAT 1C (SO-50) |
| OBJECT_ID | string | International designator, 2002-058C |
| EPOCH | ISO 8601 | Element epoch, UTC |
| MEAN_MOTION | rev/day | |
| ECCENTRICITY | float | |
| INCLINATION | deg | |
| RA_OF_ASC_NODE | deg | |
| ARG_OF_PERICENTER | deg | |
| MEAN_ANOMALY | deg | |
| NORAD_CAT_ID | int | Join key for everything else |
| BSTAR | 1/earth-radii | Drag |
| MEAN_MOTION_DOT | rev/day² | |
| MEAN_MOTION_DDOT | rev/day³ | |
| ELEMENT_SET_NO, REV_AT_EPOCH, EPHEMERIS_TYPE, CLASSIFICATION_TYPE | misc |
Example
GET /NORAD/elements/gp.php?CATNR=27607&FORMAT=json
[{"OBJECT_NAME":"SAUDISAT 1C (SO-50)","OBJECT_ID":"2002-058C",
"EPOCH":"2026-09-19T08:14:07.9","MEAN_MOTION":14.7912,
"ECCENTRICITY":0.0006,"INCLINATION":64.556,"NORAD_CAT_ID":27607, ...}]
Query by: GROUP=amateur|stations|active|cubesat, CATNR=<norad>, NAME=<substr>, INTDES=<yyyy-nnn>Gotchas
- The amateur group is curated by CelesTrak and misses some new sats; stations covers the ISS.
- Names are catalog names, not OSCAR designations. Map through NORAD IDs.
- This app proxies this endpoint at /api/tle with a 6-hour cache.