Navigating the final frontier, the cosmos, is an enormous task that humanity has taken on for several decades. To maintain an overview of all human-made objects that have been launched into space, the General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (GCAT) has been developed. As the most extensive open-source catalog available, the GCAT is the fundamental reference for researchers, historians, and space enthusiasts worldwide.
What is the GCAT?
The GCAT is a detailed database that logs every known object that has been launched into space. The objects tracked in the GCAT encompass not only operational satellites but also spent rocket stages, debris from collisions or explosions, and other miscellaneous objects, such as discarded tools or equipment from space missions.
The catalog was created and is maintained by astronomer and software engineer Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, whose work contributes significantly to the ongoing understanding of human activity in space.
Why is GCAT Important?
With the growing number of objects in space, tracking and managing space objects have become critical issues. The GCAT serves several essential functions in this context:
- Space Traffic Management: With the increasing congestion of popular orbits, GCAT helps in managing space traffic effectively. It provides the necessary data to assess potential collisions and promote sustainable space practices.
- Research and Development: The database is an invaluable resource for researchers who study patterns and trends in space launches, space technology, and space debris.
- Historical Record: GCAT provides a historical overview of human space activity. It is an important resource for historians and others interested in understanding the evolution of space exploration and technology.
What Information Does GCAT Contain?
The GCAT includes a wide variety of information on each object:
- International Designation: This is a standard naming convention that denotes the launch year, launch order of that year, and the piece of the payload. For instance, “1986-017A” would denote the 17th launch of 1986, and ‘A’ represents the first piece of the payload.
- Launch Vehicle: The specific rocket model or type that was used to launch the object.
- Country of Origin: The country responsible for launching the object.
- Purpose: This could be communications, scientific research, Earth observation, military purposes, etc.
- Orbit: Data about the object’s orbit, including the type of orbit (e.g., geostationary, low Earth orbit), altitude, inclination, and orbital period.
- Current Status: Information about whether the object is operational, nonfunctional, or if it has re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned up.
Summary
The GCAT is the most comprehensive catalog of its kind, offering insights into the vast expanse of human-made objects that have been, and continue to be, launched into space.
