Data sources
Where every figure comes from
Nothing on this site is fetched while you read it. Every dataset below is compiled into a file in this repository, and the page states what each one contributes and how current it is.
Datasets compiled 25 September 2026. Licences are recorded on the notice page.
In short
- Six datasets carry the whole archive. Each is a local file, listed below with what it holds.
- Flight records come from the public archives of NASA, CNSA, ESA, ISRO and JAXA.
- Sky data covers 305 catalogue stars, 101 deep-sky objects and all 88 IAU constellations.
- Survey imagery covers 21 bands and 34 survey targets, cross-matched into 582 band-object pairs.
- The orbital element snapshot is a dated capture of ten tracked objects, not a live feed — which is why every position on the tracker carries an age.
- No dataset is queried at runtime and none is re-fetched silently. A figure you see today is the figure in the file until the file is rebuilt.
The six datasets
Each file is bundled with the site and loaded by the page that needs it. The table records what each one is for, where it came from, and which module reads it.
| Dataset | Holds | Origin | Read by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight records | 84 curated missions — agency, launch, vehicle, target, orbit, payload, status and outcome | NASA, CNSA, ESA, ISRO and JAXA public archives | Missions, Console |
| Sky catalogue | 305 stars with position, magnitude and spectral type; 101 deep-sky objects with type, size and a method-tagged distance; 88 constellations with their stars and boundary lines | Standard catalogue positions, compiled from the surveys named on the methodology page | Constellations, Sky Map, Deep Sky |
| Survey index | 21 bands across six wavelength groups, 34 survey targets, and 582 band-object pairs recording which bands cover each target — including the gaps and the failures | The surveys named in the band list (DSS2, SDSS, 2MASS, WISE, IRAS, NVSS, VLSS, WENSS, GB6, GALEX, ROSAT) | Deep Sky |
| Preprint index | 64 records with authors, subject class, citation count and abstract | Preprint metadata, compiled with its licences recorded on the notice page | Library |
| Orbital elements | Ten tracked objects in TLE form, each with its NORAD id, fitted epoch and orbital regime | Public two-line element sets, captured at build time | Live Tracker |
| Ephemeris | Planetary and lunar positions, bundled rather than computed from a remote service | A standard ephemeris compiled into the build | Orrery, Calendar, Constellations |
How current each one is
Datasets age at very different rates, and the archive is built so that the difference is visible rather than averaged away. Constellation positions do not change in a human lifetime. Orbital elements change daily.
Stars and constellations. Fixed on any timescale a reader will notice. Positions are given for the standard catalogue epoch and are not re-fetched, because there is nothing to re-fetch.
Survey imagery and the preprint index. Grows as more material is compiled. A rebuild picks up new records; nothing changes underneath an open page.
Orbital elements. The fastest-moving dataset here, and the one treated most carefully. Because it is a dated snapshot rather than a live feed, every position the tracker draws carries the age of the elements behind it — see how a stale orbit is handled.
What is deliberately not here
The absence of a dataset is as much a decision as its presence. This archive does not carry live telemetry, proprietary catalogue data, or anything that would require a request to a third party while you read. If a feature cannot be delivered as a local file, it is not a feature this site can have.
Astral Archive is an independent project and is not affiliated with any space agency. Mission records are compiled from public archives and may be simplified for a general reader; the agencies' own records remain authoritative.