Fixed Error is thrown when loading LEO sats for date

[R2robot]

I was trying to load satellites for 12/31/25, but I get the following error.

TLE Loading Error: ERROR: Space-Track query returned no data. Request: 2025-12-25, Type: LEO, URL: https://www.space-track.org/basicsp...ull-val/orderby/NORAD_CAT_ID,EPOCH/format/3le

https://www.metabunk.org/sitrec/?cu...s.com/20018/no_recent_sats/20251231_183038.js

Rolling the day back 1 day at a time also fails until you get to the 25th. Weird bug or maybe the people that update the site are on holiday?

 

[GM4AJK]

Indeed, that ST API link isn't liked. @Mick West that looks like an unusual query to be making? [edit: I guess the eccentricity/mean motion is just after LEOs?]

 

[Mick West]

I think it's essentially an issue with space-track.org not updating gp_history for recent satellites. If you are logged in, then this works (Dec 23-25)

https://www.space-track.org/basicspacedata/query/class/gp_history/EPOCH/2025-12-23--2025-12-25/MEAN_MOTION/>11.25/ECCENTRICITY/<0.25/OBJECT_TYPE/payload/decay_date/null-val/orderby/NORAD_CAT_ID,EPOCH/format/3le

But go forward two days and it (currently) does not.

I recently added code to not attempt to get space-track data if within five days. I wonder if that needs extending, or if it's simply a holiday thing.

You can get around it by just going back a few days, loading, and the going forward. But that's far from ideal, as we really want the most recent data.

I notice on their front page, they recommend:
https://www.space-track.org/basicspacedata/query/class/gp/decay_date/null-val/epoch/>now-10/orderby/norad_cat_id/format/tle
Which works. Note the "now-10". Maybe if it's within ten days before now, I should use that.

The limits I had were because it was timing out when requesting ALL the satellites data, if I remove them it does not help.

This status page says everything is okay, so maybe I need to get the data a different way
https://satellitemap.space/space-track-status?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

[Mick West]

Not the best solution, but I now make it retry three days earlier if it encounters this issue.

 

[GM4AJK]

There is a bit of an issue here. I've noticed that new Starlink launches don't get into Space Track TLEs for days, some up to two weeks. So there's a gap here that can't be filled if there are videos in that time period.

It's possible when they do come out, then one could propagate backwards. But that's unlikely to work for two reasons. 1) In that time, they are manoeuvring to their mission orbits, and 2) I've noticed a lot of Starlinks manoeuvre several times on the same day.

 

[Mick West]

There is a bit of an issue here. I've noticed that new Starlink launches don't get into Space Track TLEs for days, some up to two weeks. So there's a gap here that can't be filled if there are videos in that time period.

It's possible when they do come out, then one could propagate backwards. But that's unlikely to work for two reasons. 1) In that time, they are manoeuvring to their mission orbits, and 2) I've noticed a lot of Starlinks manoeuvre several times on the same day.

Yeah, it's an issue. Currently you can use "Load CURRENT Starlink" or "Load ACTIVE Satellites", but that's only getting things that are valid for the last 24 hours.

 

[GM4AJK]

Not just Starlink...

 

[R2robot]

Works without throwing that error now. Thank you!