PUBLIC DATA · PREVIEW

Use OrbitSmith with Your AI

Use your own AI to explore orbital records, calculate positions, find observation candidates or work through a satellite radio-link calculation.

No OrbitSmith account or API key is needed. OrbitSmith does not call an AI model; your AI provider's terms and fees still apply.

What would you like to know?

Choose a goal for its instructions and example question. Items 1–3 need an AI with web access. Items 4–5 need browser controls; item 5 also needs you to supply and confirm design inputs.

Understand one object

Requires an AI that can read web pages

Learn the recorded name, classification and launch date when available, plus orbit height and time per orbit. Your AI explains the numbers with sources.

Example question

“Use OrbitSmith to explain ADRAS-J’s record.”

How to use it

Copy the example question below into an AI chat with web access, then replace the example object names before sending. If several objects match, choose a NORAD ID when asked.

ADRAS-J and HST are examples. Replace the name in the question with a catalog name or NORAD ID you want to investigate. Keep the directory URL unchanged; you do not need to find an individual data URL.

Open the public object directory

View the full example question
Start at the following OrbitSmith public directory and follow its links to retrieve the data for “adras J”.
https://orbitsmith.net/data/orbitsmith/catalog/directory/index.html

Briefly explain the name, NORAD ID, launch date if recorded, and data timestamps in plain English, with sources. If there are multiple candidates, let me choose. Do not add general knowledge. If retrieval fails, tell me where it stopped.

Also report the recorded classification, perigee and apogee altitudes, and period when available, with units and a brief explanation. Distinguish the snapshot time from the orbital reference time, retain warnings, and leave missing values unknown. These records do not show current position or operational status.

Scope and limits

All objects listed in OrbitSmith's public catalog are searchable, not just the examples. Available fields vary by object, and AI retrieval may fail.

Follow up · Ask about another object

After the first answer, you can continue in the same chat. For example, ask about HST instead.

Using the same OrbitSmith directory, now look up “HST” and explain the same fields in plain English, with sources and dates.
https://orbitsmith.net/data/orbitsmith/catalog/directory/index.html

Let me choose if there are multiple candidates. Do not add general knowledge; if retrieval fails, tell me where it stopped.

Compare two objects

Requires an AI that can read web pages

If your AI retrieves both records, ask it to compare their shared fields. This does not calculate how close the objects pass.

Example question

“How do ADRAS-J and HST differ in orbit height and period?”

How to use it

Copy the example question below into an AI chat with web access, then replace the example object names before sending. If several objects match, choose a NORAD ID when asked.

View the full example question
Read the guide below, then start at the OrbitSmith public directory and follow its links to retrieve the actual records for both “ADRAS-J” and “HST”.
https://orbitsmith.net/llms.txt
https://orbitsmith.net/data/orbitsmith/catalog/directory/index.html

If either name fits more than one object, show the candidates, stop, and ask me to choose a NORAD ID. Check that the NORAD ID in each record you retrieved is the object it is meant to be; never use a sample or example object's record instead.

Then put the two records side by side, briefly: name, NORAD ID, object type, launch date if supplied, perigee and apogee altitudes in km, inclination in degrees, period in minutes. Keep the names, IDs and values as OrbitSmith returned them.

State the data snapshot time, the response generation time (generated_at) returned by OrbitSmith, and the orbital element epoch (and the TLE epoch when it differs) separately, and keep any epoch-mismatch warning OrbitSmith returned. Do not present the two records as where the objects are at the same moment.

Leave missing values unknown; if a field is supplied for only one object, show unknown for the other and give no difference for that field. You may subtract the same field between the two objects (for example apogee minus apogee) if you say you calculated it and give the unit. Do not estimate the distance between the objects, how close they pass, collision or reentry risk, safety, or which one is better.

Cite each record URL and its upstream sources. Explain briefly in plain English. Do not fill anything in from general knowledge. If either record cannot be retrieved, tell me which one and where it stopped, and do not present the comparison as complete.

Scope and limits

Shows how two records differ in recorded orbit height, orbit tilt and time per orbit. ADRAS-J and HST are only examples: replace both with any two catalog names or NORAD IDs. It does not work out the distance between the objects or any safety judgement.

Calculate a position at a chosen time

Requires an AI that can read web pages

Ask where an object is calculated to be at a date and time you specify: latitude, longitude and height. This needs supported orbital data; it is not an observed live location or a pass prediction.

Example question

“Where is HST calculated to be at the date and time I specify?”

How to use it

Copy the example question to an AI with web access, replacing HST if needed. It will ask for the date, time and time zone before requesting a calculation.

View the full example question
Use OrbitSmith to calculate HST's position at a time I choose. First ask me for the full date, time and time zone; do not choose a time for me.
Read this guide and follow its position-calculation instructions:
https://orbitsmith.net/llms.txt

Find the object in the public directory below. If there are several candidates, stop and let me choose a NORAD ID.
https://orbitsmith.net/data/orbitsmith/catalog/directory/index.html

After the object and time are agreed, fetch the position calculation URL for that NORAD ID and UTC. Check the returned ID and time. Briefly explain the latitude, longitude and WGS84 ellipsoid height in plain English, with the orbital data's reference time, sources and warnings. This is a calculated position at the requested time, not an observed current location or a pass prediction. If retrieval fails or no result is returned, explain where it stopped; do not substitute another object, time or calculation.

Scope and limits

HST is only an example; replace it with a catalog name or NORAD ID. First tell your AI the full date, time and time zone. It prepares the calculation URL; you do not need to edit one. Calculations are limited to 7 days before or after the orbital data's reference time, not today. Missing or inconsistent data stops the calculation. This limit does not guarantee accuracy.

Find observation candidates from your city

Requires an AI that can operate a browser

Your AI operates the existing Passes page and explains the calculated candidate times, directions and maximum elevation for your city.

Example question

“Find ISS observation candidates from Tokyo tonight, with times and directions.”

How to use it

Use an AI with browser controls and permission to operate Passes. Copy the example question below, then tell it your city, period and time zone. Merely reading a URL or choosing a model does not enable browser controls. Before sending the example, check that your browser integration is enabled, signed in and connected. If it cannot read the page, check the connection before starting a calculation.

Open the existing Passes page

View the full example question
Use browser controls to operate OrbitSmith Passes, not just fetch the page text:
https://orbitsmith.net/passes

First ask me for the city, period (Tonight, Next 24h or Next 3 days) and display time zone. Confirm the actual dates and interval for that choice. Do not reuse a saved location, obtain my current location or choose another period without asking.

Search for the city on the page and let me choose if the place name is ambiguous. Let Passes calculate, then select ISS (NORAD ID 25544) and open its details. Report the selected coordinates, period and filters. Stop if you cannot operate the browser, the calculation fails, or the requested conditions are unsupported; do not substitute another object, time or your own calculation.

Briefly explain the displayed pass candidates in plain English: date and time zone, start, peak and end times, directions and maximum elevation. Preserve warnings and cite the page and its stated sources. If available, distinguish the result generation time from the TLE epoch; otherwise say they are unavailable. The page assumes WGS84 ellipsoid height 0 m and displays times in the device time zone. Read only relevant result fields, not the entire large JSON. No candidate under the selected filters does not mean no geometric pass. Brightness is not assessed and visibility is not guaranteed; do not infer operational safety.

Scope and limits

Use the page's Tonight, Next 24h or Next 3 days options and its listed candidates. This does not cover arbitrary dates or every catalog object. Brightness is not assessed, so a candidate is not a promise of a naked-eye sighting.

ISS is an example. Before using another object, check that it is included in Passes. Your AI should ask for the city and period rather than use a saved location.

Check these points in any AI answer

It may use an older response

An AI may reuse older data or fail to open a URL. A successful fetch does not guarantee the latest snapshot. Check the actual publication and orbital reference dates, not only “hours ago”. If it requests a URL again, paste that URL; missing values must remain unknown.

Some orbital timestamps disagree

Some records report different reference times in the orbital fields and the TLE (data used for orbit calculations). OrbitSmith warns about this; it has not reconciled those times. Do not use a warned-about record unchanged for position or pass predictions.

An AI can add unsupported claims

Ask it to use only returned fields, distinguish missing values, and cite the sources. A catalog classification does not tell you whether an object is operating.

For learning and initial understanding

These tools are for education, research and initial understanding, not satellite operations, collision avoidance, ground safety or official warnings.

For developers · Public data and optional tools

The examples above need no MCP setup. Object lookup and position calculations have read-only JSON responses with sources and warnings. Passes and Link budget above use browser controls; no pass or radio-link API is provided here.

AI access guide

llms.txt

Search by name or ID

Returns up to 10 candidates; a unique match includes the object record when available. Example:

/ai/objects/resolve?query=ISS&limit=5

Read one object

Direct lookup for a selected NORAD ID. The questions above start from the public directory; this is an alternative for developers. Example:

/ai/objects/25544

Position calculation · GET

Use a selected NORAD ID (1–99999) and URL-encoded absolute UTC ending in Z. Only the at parameter is accepted. This URL is a template, not a ready-to-open example:

https://orbitsmith.net/ai/positions/{NORAD_ID}?at={UTC}

Position calculations allow 6 requests per 10 seconds per source IP and Cloudflare location, then block for 10 seconds. This is separate from lookup limits. Shared AI connections may share the limit; on HTTP 429, stop rather than repeatedly retrying. No API key or AI-model call is needed.

Other public datasets

The manifest lists available snapshots, including statistics and reentry summaries, with their individual limitations.

/data/orbitsmith/manifest.json

The public lookup is read-only and keyless, with a rate limit of 30 requests per minute per connection source. It does not trigger new Space-Track/CelesTrak requests or paid AI calls. Cite OrbitSmith and the upstream sources named in each response.

Optional · Repo-local MCP bridge

For developers who already have access to the OrbitSmith repository. This is a local helper, not a hosted service or a requirement for the examples. Replace the repository path below with your own.

Claude Code

claude mcp add orbitsmith-public -- node /path/to/orbitsmith/scripts/public-mcp-bridge/server.js

Codex

[mcp_servers.orbitsmith-public]
command = "node"
args = ["/path/to/orbitsmith/scripts/public-mcp-bridge/server.js"]

Questions or feedback?

Tell us what was unclear or which answer looked wrong. Contact OrbitSmith