OrbitSmith — Space Debris Tracker

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Tracked Objects ?

Total number of cataloged objects currently being tracked in Earth orbit, including active satellites, defunct satellites, rocket bodies, and debris fragments.

Daily catalog (refreshed 17:30 UTC) — TLE TLE (Two-Line Element set) is a standardized data format used to describe the orbit of an Earth-orbiting object. Published by the US Space Command, TLEs enable prediction of an object's position at any given time. data

Active Conjunctions (24h) ?

A conjunction is a predicted close approach between two orbital objects. Space-Track CDM Public distributes messages for approaches typically within a few kilometers or with significant collision probability. OrbitSmith displays all CDMs with TCA in the next 24 hours.

Upcoming CDMs from Space-Track (next 24h)

Shell Risk Indicator ?

Estimates a shell-based relative risk indicator using a simplified Kessler spatial density model. It is not the same physical quantity as Space-Track CDM Pc and is not a pair-specific collision probability. See the About page's Data & Methods section for formulas and limitations.

Object 1 (NORAD ID or name)

Object 2 (NORAD ID or name)

Time Window

Relative velocity—

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How is this calculated?

Uses a simplified Kessler spatial density model to produce a shell-based relative indicator, not a CDM-style Pc. The implementation applies altitude-difference scaling factors to keep the educational output in a readable range; these factors are empirical OrbitSmith tuning, not part of the Kessler source model.

See Data & Methods →

Orbital Congestion ?

How crowded is each orbital regime? Calculated from the spatial density of tracked objects — total object count divided by shell volume — using daily-refreshed Space-Track catalog data.

LEO

MEO

GEO

HEO

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Major Debris Sources ?

Largest debris-generating events in orbit. These breakups — from collisions, explosions, or anti-satellite tests — account for thousands of tracked fragments.

Reentry Watch ?

Tracking and Impact Prediction (TIP) messages from US Space Command. Shows objects predicted to reenter Earth's atmosphere. ▲ WATCH = large object that may survive reentry.

Upcoming

Recent

Orbit Distribution

LEO (200–2,000 km)0

MEO (2,000–35,786 km)0

GEO (~35,786 km)0

HEO / Other0

Data Sources ?

Fused orbital catalog from Space-Track.org GP (18 SDS), CelesTrak GP and SupGP (T.S. Kelso). Conjunction alerts from Space-Track CDM (via CSpOC). Object metadata from GCAT (J. McDowell, CC-BY). Reentry predictions from Space-Track TIP/Decay.

Space-Track.org GP catalog (18 SDS)

CelesTrak GP + SupGP (T.S. Kelso)

Space-Track CDM Public (via CSpOC)

GCAT (J. McDowell, CC-BY)

McCants visual magnitude DB

ESA DISCOS (static reference)

Space-Track TIP / Decay

Earth texture: NASA Blue Marble