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Search and filters

The console searches the full satellite catalog, roughly 25,000 tracked objects, not just your fleet. Search finds an object; filters narrow what the scene shows and what analytics are scoped to. They are different instruments, and the console keeps them distinct on purpose.

Screenshot

The catalog search box with ranked autocomplete: a NORAD id match, name matches, and an operator match, active objects first.

Type a NORAD id, a satellite name, an international (COSPAR) designator, or an operator name. Autocomplete ranks results as you type:

  • Matches rank by field: NORAD id, then name, then designator, then operator.
  • Active objects sort before inactive or decayed ones within a rank.
  • Multi-word queries AND across tokens, so "iridium 2019" narrows quickly.

Selecting a result focuses the object on the globe and opens its detail card. If it belongs to a catalog constellation that is not currently displayed, the console activates that group so the selection has something to land on. The assistant uses the same resolution ("select NORAD 44057", "find the newest Galileo spacecraft").

Filter dimensions

The filter panel narrows the operator fleet view by physical catalog attributes. Semantics are strict and predictable: AND across dimensions, OR within a multi-select dimension, and when a dimension is active, only objects that provably match stay visible (an object with an unknown value fails the filter rather than sneaking through).

DimensionValues
Orbit classLEO, MEO, GEO, HEO
InclinationNumeric range, degrees
AltitudeNumeric range, km
Object typePayload, rocket body, debris, unknown
StatusActive, inactive, decayed, unknown
CountryISO country codes
NORAD ids / designatorsExplicit lists
Launch dateDate range
Operator / constellation / mission type / launch vehicleCatalog metadata
TagsFree-form, for example region or spectrum tags

Clearing a dimension leaves the others active; clearing the filter restores the full fleet. Active filters also scope deterministic analytics: "p90 latency" with a filter on means p90 over the filtered fleet, and the result states that scope.

Filters vs constellation visibility

These look similar and are not:

  • Filters subset the single-operator fleet by physical attributes. They cannot summon a different constellation, because the operator fleet is exactly one operator's assets.
  • Constellation toggles show, isolate, or hide whole catalog groups (Starlink, Kuiper, Iridium NEXT, GPS, Galileo, GEO comms, and more) as display layers alongside your fleet.

Asking the assistant "show only satellites above 1000 km" applies a filter. Asking "show Starlink" toggles a catalog group. The assistant routes each request to the right mechanism and reports how many objects the action actually matched, including zero.

Common workflows

TaskHow
Find one object fastSearch by NORAD id or name
Audit the high-inclination subsetFilter inclination 80 to 100 degrees
Hide debris in a congested viewFilter object type to payload
Compare your fleet against GPSToggle the GPS catalog group on
Scope a statistic to a subsetApply filters, then ask for the statistic; the answer names its scope and denominator
Reset everythingClear filters, hide catalog groups

Example scenarios

A conjunction question. An operator hears about a close approach involving a decayed rocket body. They search its NORAD id, focus it on the globe next to their fleet, and ask the assistant for the collision-risk assessment on the nearby fleet satellite.

Spectrum coordination prep. An engineer filters the fleet to a Ku tag and altitude band, confirms visually which planes are involved, then asks for a breakdown of link SNR by spectrum band over the filtered set. The insight card states the filtered scope and sample size, so the number survives review.