canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/space-track.org/space-track

# Space-Track Satellite Tracking API

Space-Track.org API for accessing satellite tracking data including general perturbations, satellite catalog, decay predictions, conjunction data messages, and more. The API exposes 11 endpoints secured with apiKey authentication.

## For AI agents

Programmatically authenticate and get session, get current utc time. Covers 11 operations with apiKey authentication.

## Scope

Does not handle payments, crm, or developer tools - use for communications only.

## Capabilities

- Authenticate and get session
- Get current UTC time
- Query General Perturbations data
- Query and filter Space-Track Satellite Tracking API records by parameters
- Monitor Space-Track Satellite Tracking API operational status and events

## Use cases

### Communications Operations

Use the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API to perform communications operations programmatically. The API provides 11 endpoints covering core functionality including authenticate and get session, get current utc time, query general perturbations data.

Example prompt: Call POST `/ajaxauth/login` to authenticate and get session

### Automated Authentication Management

Automate authentication operations by combining multiple Space-Track Satellite Tracking API endpoints. Agents can get current utc time and then query general perturbations data in a single workflow.

Example prompt: Call GET `/time/getTime` to get current utc time, then verify the result

### AI Agent Integration via Jentic

AI agents discover and call Space-Track Satellite Tracking API endpoints through Jentic without managing credentials directly. An agent searches for the required operation by intent, receives the matching endpoint schema, and executes the call with Jentic-managed authentication. This eliminates the need to read API documentation or handle apiKey tokens manually.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'authenticate and get session', load the operation schema, and execute with Jentic-managed credentials

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `/ajaxauth/login` | Authenticate and get session |
| GET | `/time/getTime` | Get current UTC time |
| GET | `/basicspacedata/query/class/gp` | Query General Perturbations data |
| GET | `/basicspacedata/query/class/gp_history` | Query GP history data |
| GET | `/basicspacedata/query/class/satcat` | Query satellite catalog |
| GET | `/basicspacedata/query/class/satcat_debut` | Query recently cataloged objects |
| GET | `/basicspacedata/query/class/decay` | Query decay/reentry data |
| GET | `/basicspacedata/query/class/tip` | Query reentry predictions |

## Key resources

- **Authentication** — Operations related to Authentication
- **Space Data** — Operations related to Space Data
- **Utilities** — Operations related to Utilities

## AI readiness

This API is usable in Jentic One now. Its AI-readiness score against Jentic's framework shows where it stands today and where improvements would make it even easier for agents to use.

- **Score:** 66 / 100
- **Maturity:** AI-Aware
- **Dimensions:**
  - Foundational Compliance: 100 / 100
  - Developer Experience & Jentic Compatibility: 63 / 100
  - AI-Readiness & Agent Experience: 46 / 100
  - Agent Usability: 94 / 100
  - Security: 50 / 100
  - AI Discoverability: 100 / 100
- **View full report:** https://jentic.com/apis/space-track.org/space-track/scorecard
- **How the score is calculated:** https://docs.jentic.com/reference/api-readiness-framework/overview/
- **More about the dimensions:** https://docs.jentic.com/reference/api-readiness-framework/specification/#dimensional-model-overview

### Score it yourself

Every API in the directory is allowlisted, so you can re-score it with no key required.

- **Score your own API:** https://jentic.com/scorecard.md
- **Scoring CLI agent skill:** https://github.com/jentic/jentic-api-scorecard/blob/main/skills/jentic-api-scorecard/SKILL.md

```sh
npx @jentic/api-scorecard-cli score <openapi-url>
```

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring Space-Track by hand means running its cookie-session login flow to get a chocolatechip session, then querying the basicspacedata classes like gp, satcat, and decay against a single host while you manage session refresh yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API from the API Directory, store the credentials once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** The Space-Track query surface is read-only data retrieval, so limit the agent to the operations it needs, such as querying the gp catalog or reading decay predictions. You choose the operations it may call, so it only reads the space-object data classes you allow and nothing more.
- **Credential handling:** Your Space-Track credentials are stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. They never enter the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'get current TLE data for a satellite' or 'look up a decay prediction', and Jentic returns the matching Space-Track operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Twilio** — Alternative communications API
- **Sendgrid** — Alternative communications API
- **Pusher** — Complementary communications API

## FAQ

### What authentication does the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API use?

The Space-Track Satellite Tracking API uses an API key passed in the `chocolatechip` cookie. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted in your Jentic One instance and injected at execution time, so raw secrets never enter the agent context.

### Can I authenticate and get session with the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API?

Yes. Use the POST `/ajaxauth/login` endpoint. The API returns structured JSON responses that agents can parse and act on directly.

### What are the rate limits for the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API?

Rate limits are not specified in the OpenAPI spec. Check the vendor documentation for current limits. Through Jentic, rate limiting is handled automatically with retry logic built into the execution layer.

### How do I authenticate and get session through Jentic?

Install the Jentic SDK with pip install jentic, authenticate through Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer, then search for 'authenticate and get session'. Jentic returns the matching Space-Track Satellite Tracking API operation with its input schema. Load the schema and execute the call - credentials are injected automatically.

### How many endpoints does the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API have?

The Space-Track Satellite Tracking API exposes 11 endpoints covering authentication, space data, utilities operations.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Space-Track Satellite Tracking API?

Yes. Because Jentic One is self-hosted, you set the rules that decide which Space-Track operations your agent may call, and it can only use the ones you allow. The Space-Track surface is read-only data retrieval, so you can restrict the agent to just the classes it needs, such as querying the gp catalog, reading the satellite catalog, or looking up decay predictions, while leaving the rest off limits. Credentials are stored once by your own instance and injected only for the operations you permit, so the agent reads the space-object data you approve and nothing more.