TLE Two digit years

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David Findlay - 21 Sep 2003 11:24 GMT

Are there any revisions to the NORAD TLE format planned? At the moment it
uses two digit year dates. This will stop being viable around the 2060s,
when it's feasible that some satellites launched in the 1960s might still
be in orbit. Is there currently anything built into the TLE format that can
handle this? Or is everyone putting that off for now? I'm just doing some
research for a book I might write oneday, and figured it was a potential
problem of the future. Thanks,

David

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Dr John Stockton - 23 Sep 2003 17:51 GMT

JRS: In article <3f6d7c47$0$23594$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au>, seen
in news:sci.space.tech, David Findlay <david@davsoft.com.au> posted at
Sun, 21 Sep 2003 20:24:16 :-

>Are there any revisions to the NORAD TLE format planned? At the moment it
>uses two digit year dates. This will stop being viable around the 2060s,
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>research for a book I might write oneday, and figured it was a potential
>problem of the future. Thanks,

That gives a new entry to my <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/critdate
htm>, which might amuse you.

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© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - w. FAQish topics, links, acronyms
PAS EXE etc : <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/programs/> - see 00index.htm
Dates - miscdate.htm moredate.htm js-dates.htm pas-time.htm critdate.htm etc.

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David Findlay - 25 Sep 2003 06:08 GMT

> That gives a new entry to my <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/critdate
> htm>, which might amuse you.

Very cool. A lot of work must have went into that one. Thanks,

David

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Space Forum / Space Flight / September 2003

TLE Two digit years