Developer Docs

API Reference

REST API for programmatic contact scheduling, TLE management, pass prediction, and webhook-based event delivery. JSON over HTTPS. API key authentication. No SOAP, no EDI, no proprietary SDK required. Base URL: https://api.orbitvein.com/v1

REST

JSON over HTTPS

100/min

Rate limit (standard)

TLS 1.3

Transport security

Authentication

API Key Authentication

All API requests require an API key passed in the X-API-Key header. API keys are provisioned by Orbitvein after you submit the contact form. Each key is scoped to your organization and associated with your NORAD IDs and spacecraft list.

X-API-Key: orbv_sk_live_<your_api_key>

Standard rate limit

100 req/min

Custom tier limit

Negotiable

Key provisioning

Via contact form

Endpoints

API Endpoint Reference

Method	Path	Description	Key Parameters
POST	/contacts/schedule	Schedule a contact window at a specific station	norad_id, station, aos_utc, los_utc, frequency_band, aperture_m, priority
GET	/passes/predict	Predict all passes for a spacecraft over the next N days	norad_id, days (1-7), min_elevation
POST	/tle/ingest	Ingest or update TLE for a spacecraft	norad_id, mission_name, refresh_cadence, auto_update
GET	/stations/availability	Check station availability for a time window	start_utc, end_utc, frequency_band, aperture_min
GET	/contacts/{id}/status	Get status and post-contact report for a scheduled contact	contact_id (path param)

Examples

Schedule a Contact

import requests

api_key = "orbv_sk_live_..."
base_url = "https://api.orbitvein.com/v1"

# Schedule a contact
response = requests.post(
    f"{base_url}/contacts/schedule",
    headers={"X-API-Key": api_key},
    json={
        "norad_id": 58320,
        "station": "ZA-Alpha",
        "aos_utc": "2025-05-14T03:42:18Z",
        "los_utc": "2025-05-14T03:53:44Z",
        "frequency_band": "X",
        "aperture_m": 5.4,
        "priority": "standard",
        "ccsds_mode": "TM_TC"
    }
)
contact = response.json()
print(contact["contact_id"], contact["status"])

curl -X POST https://api.orbitvein.com/v1/contacts/schedule \
  -H "X-API-Key: orbv_sk_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "norad_id": 58320,
    "station": "ZA-Alpha",
    "aos_utc": "2025-05-14T03:42:18Z",
    "los_utc": "2025-05-14T03:53:44Z",
    "frequency_band": "X",
    "aperture_m": 5.4,
    "priority": "standard",
    "ccsds_mode": "TM_TC"
  }'

Response

{
  "contact_id": "ctct_7aKx29mBnQ",
  "status": "confirmed",
  "station": "ZA-Alpha",
  "aos_utc": "2025-05-14T03:42:18Z",
  "los_utc": "2025-05-14T03:53:44Z",
  "aperture_m": 5.4,
  "frequency_band": "X",
  "delivery_endpoint": "s3://your-bucket/contacts/ctct_7aKx29mBnQ/"
}

Webhooks

Event Notifications

Orbitvein pushes contact lifecycle events to your configured webhook endpoint. Configure your webhook URL via the contact form when requesting your API key.

contact.aos Antenna acquisition of signal — contact started

contact.los Loss of signal — contact ended, data processing begins

contact.data_ready CCSDS-framed packet capture delivered to your endpoint

schedule.conflict_detected Your scheduled contact has a conflict — alternative windows included in payload

Webhook Payload Example

{
  "event": "contact.data_ready",
  "contact_id": "ctct_7aKx29mBnQ",
  "norad_id": 58320,
  "station": "ZA-Alpha",
  "actual_aos_utc": "2025-05-14T03:42:21Z",
  "actual_los_utc": "2025-05-14T03:53:41Z",
  "contact_duration_s": 680,
  "delivery_endpoint": "s3://your-bucket/contacts/ctct_7aKx29mBnQ/",
  "frame_count": 14280,
  "peak_elevation_deg": 71.3
}

Get Your API Key

Keys are provisioned after a brief operator onboarding — typically within one business day. Contact us with your NORAD ID, spacecraft name, and primary frequency band. No procurement approval process. No 30-day sales cycle.

Request API Access Scheduling guide