esoc European Space Operations Centre Robert-Bosch-Strasse 5 D-64293 Darmstadt Germany T +49 (0)6151 900 www.esa.int CLASSIFICATION OF GEOSYNCHRONOUS OBJECTS Produced with the DISCOS Database Prepared by T. Flohrer & S. Frey Reference GEN-DB-LOG-00195-OPS-GR Issue 18 Revision 0 Date of Issue 3 June 2016 Status ISSUED Document Type TN European Space Agency Agence spatiale europeenne´ Abstract This is a status report on geosynchronous objects as of 1 January 2016. Based on orbital data in ESA’s DISCOS database and on orbital data provided by KIAM the situation near the geostationary ring is analysed. From 1434 objects for which orbital data are available (of which 2 are outdated, i.e. the last available state dates back to 180 or more days before the reference date), 471 are actively controlled, 747 are drifting above, below or through GEO, 190 are in a libration orbit and 15 are in a highly inclined orbit. For 11 objects the status could not be determined. Furthermore, there are 50 uncontrolled objects without orbital data (of which 44 have not been cata- logued). Thus the total number of known objects in the geostationary region is 1484. In issue 18 the previously used definition of ”near the geostationary ring” has been slightly adapted. If you detect any error or if you have any comment or question please contact: Tim Flohrer, PhD European Space Agency European Space Operations Center Space Debris Office (OPS-GR) Robert-Bosch-Str. 5 64293 Darmstadt, Germany Tel.: +49-6151-903058 E-mail: tim.fl
[email protected] Page 1 / 178 European Space Agency CLASSIFICATION OF GEOSYNCHRONOUS OBJECTS Agence spatiale europeenne´ Date 3 June 2016 Issue 18 Rev 0 Table of contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Sources 4 2.1 USSTRATCOM Two-Line Elements (TLEs) .