posted 01-19-2005 10:05 AM            

If so, did you know that you will probably need to REGISTER to be able to get the latest TLE's ?

This is because the provision of TLE's has been moved (quote):-

"Due to existing [US] National Security Restrictions pertaining to access of and use of U.S. Government-provided information and data, all users accessing this web site must be an approved registered user to access data on this site"

Traditional providers - like Dr Kelso's excellent Celestrak site - will no longer be able to provide TLE's . I assume this will include other providers like Starry Night,Heavens Above but I'm not certain as it is very unclear in the documentation issued . But it looks like individual TLE users have to register? Any clarification welcomed on this welcomed !

I would urge you to sign up - if you are a regular observer of ISS or Hubble or many of the other earth orbiting satellites BEFORE FEBRUARY at:-
http://www.space-track.org/perl/login.pl

It is an easy process, costs nothing and provides several daily updates.

I've been using this service for about 3 weeks and it is very good.

I will miss Dr Kelso's site bthough :-)

Phill
UK

posted 01-19-2005 10:08 AM            

As a result of legislation passed by the US Congress and signed into law on 2003 November 24 (Public Law 108-136, Section 913), Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) has embarked on a three-year pilot program to provide space surveillance data—including NORAD two-line element sets (TLEs)—to non-US government entities (NUGE). This service was to be established "not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment" of Section 913 or by 2004 May 22 (paragraph (i)). AFSPC officials have indicated that the NASA OIG web site—which is the source of CelesTrak's data—would be operated until 2004 October 1 (less than two months from today) to allow users to get the information necessary to plan their transition to this new data service. This transition time is extremely important because Public Law 108-136 prohibits the redistribution of the data obtained from this new NUGE service "without the express approval of the Secretary" [of Defense] (paragraph (d)(2)).

See Dr kelso's site for further information on this :-
http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/