Available orbital catalog
Snapshot retrieved: . Retained orbital sources: Space-Track. Orbit-age exclusions: 1,140 stale, 0 missing or invalid epochs, 14 near expiry. These exclusions do not mean the objects have disappeared.
| Category | Retained records | Within orbit-age limit |
|---|---|---|
| Debris | 10,162 | 9,200 |
| Rocket bodies | 2,207 | 2,196 |
| Payloads and stations | 20,214 | 20,033 |
| Unknown type | 0 | 0 |
Counts describe this PocketWorld snapshot, not the entire population in space. The map also applies propagation checks, your filters and a device-dependent rendering budget; eligible records are not a promise of that many visible markers.
Debris and rocket-body examples with the newest available epochs
| Catalog ID | Name | Type | Orbit | Element epoch | Orbit-age check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41929 | YZ-1 R/B | Rocket bodies | HEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 50000 | TITAN 3C TRANSTAGE R/B | Rocket bodies | HEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 25990 | ARIANE 5 R/B | Rocket bodies | HEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 60326 | YZ-1S R/B | Rocket bodies | HEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 101259 | ELECTRON KICK STAGE R/B | Rocket bodies | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 20900 | CZ-4 DEB | Debris | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 101258 | ELECTRON R/B | Rocket bodies | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 30125 | FENGYUN 1C DEB | Debris | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 10114 | SL-3 R/B | Rocket bodies | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 29788 | FENGYUN 1C DEB | Debris | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 12947 | COSMOS 1275 DEB | Debris | LEO | Within orbit-age limit | |
| 33942 | COSMOS 2251 DEB | Debris | LEO | Within orbit-age limit |
Separate Object Types
Debris, rocket bodies, payloads and unknown types are counted separately. A satellite is not automatically classified as debris.
Element Dates
An orbital element epoch is different from the time PocketWorld retrieved a catalog. A recently loaded file can still contain older orbits.
Estimated Positions
The globe uses SGP4 propagation, not direct continuous measurements of each object.
Explicit Limits
This is an educational view of available records, not a collision-warning, reentry-prediction or spacecraft-operations service.
How to read this space junk map
Start with the category table rather than the number of dots. Debris fragments and rocket bodies are separate groups; payloads include spacecraft and stations without establishing whether each is still operational. Unknown types remain unknown. The table uses the same retained catalog as the globe, but describes records rather than a complete census of Earth orbit.
- Open the debris map. The link selects debris and rocket bodies in the orbital catalog, leaving other categories off so they do not obscure the view.
- Use the catalog search and category controls to explore available objects. Search by a catalog ID or a name from the examples above. Clear the search before comparing the whole selected layer.
- Read the object's element epoch and orbital context. A point on a rotating globe is a computed position, not a new radar observation. Fewer points after filtering or zooming can reflect the rendering budget rather than a physical change in orbit.
Why this is not a count of all orbital debris
NASA's orbital debris explanation includes human-made objects that no longer serve a useful purpose, from retired spacecraft and spent stages to small fragments. Many small pieces have no public orbit that this map can display. Catalog object type and operational status are different fields: a payload label alone cannot tell you whether a spacecraft is working.
PocketWorld combines selected CelesTrak groups with retained Space-Track elements when available, deduplicating catalog identifiers and retaining source attribution. The selected groups, provider availability and element-format limits all affect coverage. In particular, this TLE-based view does not promise coverage of newly assigned six-digit identifiers; see CelesTrak's catalog documentation for the format transition and object-type definitions.
Two timestamps and an orbit-age check
The retrieval time tells you when PocketWorld saved the snapshot. The element epoch tells you the reference time of the orbit model. Neither timestamp means that a camera or radar measured the displayed position just now. The SGP4 model propagates orbital elements to an estimated position; uncertainty and missing updates limit the interpretation.
PocketWorld's current display policy excludes elements older than 72 hours for low or unknown orbit classes and seven days for higher orbits, with a further 30-minute expiry margin. These are application freshness limits, not accuracy guarantees. Failed or partial refreshes can leave retained records visible in this table but unavailable for current-position rendering. An empty debris layer is therefore not evidence of a debris-free orbit.
What a close-looking pair of dots cannot tell you
Marker size, screen projection and different orbital altitudes can make unrelated objects appear close together. This page does not calculate conjunction probabilities, avoidance manoeuvres or reentry impact locations. A reliable operational assessment needs specialist data and methods beyond this visualization; do not interpret a screenshot as a collision alert.
Orbital data and classification
Available CelesTrak and retained Space-Track elements supply the orbital records. The snapshot names its represented sources. Object categories can include name-based inference; operational status is not inferred from a payload label.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real-time space debris tracker?
The visualization advances estimated positions from retained orbital elements. It is not a continuous direct observation feed. Check element epochs, source status and the map's coverage message.
Why is the number on the map smaller than the table?
The table includes retained records. Old or invalid elements, propagation failures, category and search filters, and the rendering budget can reduce the number of visible markers.
Are every rocket body and inactive satellite in the debris filter?
The focused link selects the catalog's debris and rocket-body categories. It does not infer that every payload is inactive, and missing classifications or public elements leave gaps.
Can I use this map to predict a collision or falling debris?
No. PocketWorld provides orbital context and source dates, not collision probabilities, spacecraft avoidance instructions or reentry impact predictions.