Satellite Catalog Number

The Satellite Catalog Number (SATCAT), also called the NORAD Catalog Number or NORAD ID, is a special number given to all human-made objects in space. These numbers are given by the United States Space Command, previously by NORAD. These numbers are issued in the sequence in which the objects are launched or detected. An example: the rocket for Sputnik 1 is catalog number 1, while the satellite Sputnik 1 is catalog number 2. Objects that do not stay in orbit or only orbit for a short time are not included in the catalog. The smallest object in the catalog is 10 centimeters, or about 4 inches, wide. On October 21, 2023, the catalog contained 58,010 objects, with 16,645 satellites launched since 1957. Of these, 8,936 satellites were still operational. There are 25,717 well-tracked objects, and 2,055 objects have been lost. Another 16,600 "analyst objects" are tracked by the USSPACECOM. These objects are in another category of tracking, and details about them are not made public. The number, according to an ESA estimate dated September 12, 2023, is around 36,500 debris big enough to be tracked by USSPACECOM.