---
title: Orbital Watch Weekly
type: L2-brief
theme: orbital-watch
week: 2026-W34
updated: 2026-08-17T09:00:00Z
sources: [orbital-satellites]
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: azimuth (HemySphere doctrine demonstrator) — see CREDITS.md for upstream sources
---

# Orbital Watch Weekly

> Synthesised from the week's L1 source notes under `../01 Sources/`. The `azimuth-curator`
> fleet role evolves this single note in place each cycle. azimuth reports **recorded orbital
> element sets** — a satellite's TLE-derived position, altitude, inclination and velocity are
> observed public data (CelesTrak, from US Space Command releases) — and never speculates on
> a satellite's mission or intent beyond the catalogue's own type label. Every claim links to
> the L1 note it rests on. (Last pull: 2026-08-17 ingest — a flat cycle: roster and country/type
> splits byte-identical to the 2026-08-01 synthesis, only the TLE epochs advanced.)

## This week at a glance

- The CelesTrak channel tracks **98 catalogued satellites** in this pull (unchanged from
  the 07-15 baseline through 08-17), carrying each object's live two-line element
  set with updated epoch and drag-term values ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- By operator country: the **US leads at 38 objects**, ahead of **China (30)**, the
  **EU (19)**, India (7), Turkey (3) and South Korea (1) — the catalogue's own attribution
  field, reported as published; no change from prior readings ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- By the catalogue's type label: **47 optical-imaging** objects, **34 military** and
  **17 SAR** (synthetic-aperture radar) — unchanged across every pull since the 07-15
  baseline; the feed's classification, not azimuth's ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- TLE epochs in the 08-17 pull carry day-of-year values spanning **222.5 to 229.0**
  (i.e. approximately 10–17 August 2026); the upper edge advanced one day from the
  08-16 band's 228.0, while the 222.5 floor is one object (TERRASAR-X) whose recorded
  epoch has stayed at day 222.5 across both the 08-16 and 08-17 pulls — every other
  catalogued object carries a fresh 08-16/08-17 epoch ([[orbital-satellites]]).

## Reading the week

- The tracked set skews toward Earth-observation: about two-thirds carry an imaging label
  (optical + SAR), and the US/China pair accounts for roughly 70% of the catalogue. azimuth
  records the element sets and the catalogue's own labels — position is public physics,
  purpose beyond the label is not claimed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- Over the 07-15 → 08-17 window the **object composition held constant at 98 entries**
  (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1); the feed recorded fresh TLE data on each
  pull, with no additions or removals observed ([[orbital-satellites]]).

## Changelog

- 2026-08-17 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W34): flat cycle — roster held at 98 catalogued satellites, country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) unchanged from 08-16; TLE epochs advanced to day-of-year 222.5–229.0 (approx. 10–17 August), the upper edge up one day from the 08-16 band (228.0) while the 222.5 floor is one still-unrefreshed TERRASAR-X element (identical epoch across both pulls); no additions or removals observed. Observed-only framing held ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-08-16 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W33): absorbed the 2026-08-07 through 2026-08-16 pulls after a curator gap — a flat cycle. The roster held at 98 catalogued satellites, country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) byte-identical to the 2026-08-01 synthesis; only the TLE element sets refreshed, epochs advancing ~15 days to day-of-year 222.5–228.0 (approx. 10–16 August) from the 08-01 band (212.4–212.9); no additions or removals observed. `week`/`updated` advanced so the freshness gate records the latest L1 day was absorbed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-15 — first Orbital Watch Weekly cycle (2026-W29): theme un-held (the hold was
  ingest-pending; the CelesTrak channel is US-Gov public-domain, surfaced, and carries 21
  committed L1 days). Wrote the at-a-glance and reading sections from the live 2026-07-15
  pull: 98 tracked objects (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19), type split 47 optical / 34 military /
  17 SAR. Observed-only framing, catalogue labels reported as published
  ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-25 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W30): flat cycle — roster held at 98 catalogued satellites; country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) carried unchanged; TLE epochs advanced to day-of-year 204.5–206.0 (approx. 23–25 July), up roughly one day from the 07-24 band (203.5–204.9); no additions or removals observed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-30 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W31): absorbed the 2026-07-26 through 2026-07-30 pulls after a five-day gap behind the live L1 — flat cycle; roster held at 98 catalogued satellites, country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) carried unchanged; TLE epochs advanced ~five days to day-of-year 209.5–211.0 (approx. 28–30 July) from the 07-25 band (204.5–206.0); no additions or removals observed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-08-01 — daily-ingest flowback (2026-W31): flat cycle — the 2026-07-31 and 2026-08-01 pulls held the roster at 98 catalogued satellites, country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) byte-identical to the 2026-07-30 synthesis; only the TLE element sets refreshed, epochs advancing ~1.5 days to day-of-year 212.4–212.9 (approx. 31 July) from the 07-30 band (209.5–211.0); no additions or removals observed. `updated` advanced so the freshness gate records the latest L1 day was absorbed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-24 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W30): count flat at 98 catalogued satellites; country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) carried unchanged; TLE epochs advanced to day-of-year 203.5–204.9 (approx. 22–23 July), up roughly one day from the prior cycle; no additions or removals observed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-23 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W30): honest near-flat cycle — roster held at 98 catalogued satellites, country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) unchanged; TLE elements refreshed to the 07-23 epoch (day-of-year ~203, approx. 22 July); no additions or removals observed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-21 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W30): absorbed the 07-18 through 07-20 pulls; object set stable at 98 catalogued satellites, the country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) unchanged; TLE elements refreshed each day, epochs advancing to near day-of-year 200–201 (19–20 July); no additions or removals observed ([[orbital-satellites]]).
- 2026-07-18 — daily-ingest synthesis (2026-W29): 07-16 and 07-17 pulls both recorded 98 catalogued objects — object set stable, country split (US 38 / CN 30 / EU 19 / IN 7 / TR 3 / KR 1) and type split (47 optical / 34 military / 17 SAR) unchanged; TLE elements refreshed each day with updated epochs near day-of-year 197 ([[orbital-satellites]]).
