Minor Planet Center vs TLE
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Minor Planet Center vs TLE: common questions
Which is more reliable, Minor Planet Center or TLE?
On our scheduled checks, Minor Planet Center leads on measured uptime — Minor Planet Center at 93.8% versus TLE at 83.9% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.
Which is faster, Minor Planet Center or TLE?
Minor Planet Center has the lower median latency in our checks — Minor Planet Center responds in 131 ms versus TLE at 763 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.
Do Minor Planet Center and TLE need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — Minor Planet Center is callable with no signup, and TLE is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call Minor Planet Center and TLE from the browser?
Only TLE 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 TLE free for commercial use?
Minor Planet Center has unclear commercial terms, and TLE 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.