The Union of Concerned Scientists has released a database of operational satellites in orbit:
The UCS Satellite Database is a listing of operational satellites currently in orbit around the Earth. It is available as a downloadable Excel file, which is updated roughly quarterly. Our intent in producing the database is to create a research tool for specialists and non-specialists alike by collecting open-source information on operational satellites and presenting it in a format that can be easily manipulated for research and analysis. The database includes basic information about more than 800 satellites and their orbits, but does not contain the detailed information necessary to locate individual satellites.
Check it out.
Katherine Shrader at AP wrote a breathless, sensationalist story about the database. “While it did not provide precise orbits that would enable someone to find a satellite at any moment, the union’s database does give other closely held information” is a good example of the tone.
