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Minor Planet Center vs Satellite Passes

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APIMinor Planet CenterNEW—Satellite PassesNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSnoyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverified (data derived from JPL/MPC)Unverified
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Minor Planet Center vs Satellite Passes: common questions

Which is more reliable, Minor Planet Center or Satellite Passes?

On our scheduled checks, Satellite Passes leads on measured uptime — Minor Planet Center at —% versus Satellite Passes at —% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Do Minor Planet Center and Satellite Passes need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Minor Planet Center is callable with no signup, and Satellite Passes is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Minor Planet Center and Satellite Passes from the browser?

Only Satellite Passes is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Minor Planet Center needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Minor Planet Center and Satellite Passes free for commercial use?

Minor Planet Center has unclear commercial terms, and Satellite Passes has unclear commercial terms. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.