Nominate an Object

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OPS-007 • Object Nomination · Rev. 03 · A. Kowalski

Nominate an Orbital Object

Know of an orbital debris object that warrants retrieval? ORC can assess it. We do not commit to retrieval at the nomination stage. We do commit to taking it seriously, reviewing the orbital parameters, and having L. Sandhu note the regulatory position. That is more than most people get.

ORC object assessment
ORC OBJECT NOMINATION · FORM OPS-007
A. KOWALSKI RECEIVES · P. PATEL REVIEWS
01 / PROCESS

How nomination works

ORC receives nominations from satellite operators, insurers, mission planners, and on one occasion a retired civil servant who had been following a particular piece of debris for eleven years. All nominations are reviewed. None have been dismissed without assessment.

01

Search the catalog

Use the live object search below to find your object in the US Space Surveillance Network public catalog. Enter a NORAD number or object name. ORC will retrieve its current orbital parameters automatically.

02

Submit the nomination

Add your reason for nomination and submit. A. Kowalski logs it and acknowledges within two working days. OCELOT would normally handle this. OCELOT is offline. A. Kowalski does it instead.

03

P. Patel reviews

P. Patel conducts a preliminary trajectory assessment within ten working days and produces a mission complexity estimate. This is not a mission plan. A mission plan would be version 8 at minimum.

NOTE · L. SANDHU, REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE  Nomination does not constitute a retrieval commitment or service agreement. Nominations involving objects of unknown or contested ownership require additional documentation before assessment can proceed. The 2017 object is not eligible for nomination. The answer remains no.
02 / CATALOG

Search the debris catalog

Live data from the US Space Surveillance Network public catalog, via CelesTrak. Over 27,000 objects are currently tracked. Enter a NORAD catalog number or object name to locate yours.

NORAD CATALOG LOOKUP

Know the NORAD number? Enter it directly for an exact match.

OBJECT NAME SEARCH

Search by object name. Returns currently-tracked objects only.

NOTABLE OBJECTS

Objects of interest

A selection of catalogued objects that have attracted operational, regulatory, or general attention. Click any to retrieve its current orbital data and begin a nomination.

DATA SOURCE: US SPACE SURVEILLANCE NETWORK PUBLIC CATALOG · DISTRIBUTED VIA CELESTRAK.ORG · DATA IS US GOVERNMENT PUBLIC DOMAIN · UPDATED DAILY · ORC MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO ACCURACY · L. SANDHU HAS NOTED THIS
03 / NOMINATION

Submit an object for assessment

Submit nomination
Submission does not constitute a service agreement. L. Sandhu has confirmed this.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA OPS-007

What ORC considers

P. Patel reviews each nominated object against the following criteria. Objects meeting two or more are typically advanced to full assessment.

ORBITAL ZONE LEO · MEO · GEO covered
MASS RANGE 50 kg – 10 t standard
STATUS Decommissioned preferred
RESPONSE TIME 10 working days
NEXT WINDOW 14 JUN 2026
CATALOG SOURCE CelesTrak / SSN
Sub-centimetre debris, nuclear-powered objects, and active payloads without operator consent are outside ORC’s current scope.
ASSESSMENT RESULT
PENDING SUBMISSION

Your preliminary assessment will appear here once you submit.

04 / OUT OF SCOPE

What ORC does not assess

We receive nominations for all of the following with some regularity. The answer in each case is no.

The 2017 object

Classification pending. Approach not authorised. Retrieval not authorised. Nomination not appropriate. The answer has been no since 2017.

Active payloads

We do not assess active spacecraft without the registered operator’s written consent and a release of liability. Get it in writing. Then call us.

Nuclear-powered objects

ORC does not handle objects with radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Specialist contractors exist. We are happy to make an introduction.