GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects

Platforms

GCAT Release 1.5.7 (2024 Oct 18) | Data Update 2024 Nov 28

Platform data structure

Some space launches are carried out from mobile structures which don't have a fixed geographical location. I thus distinguish between the `platform' (the vehicle used as a launch platform) and the `site' (the geographical location at which the platform was located when the rocket separated from it).

Platforms which have been used to launch rockets include surface ships, submarines and aircraft. (I also include the KSC pad 39 mobile launch platforms, just because I want to record which one was used for which launch and it's a useful database field to stash that particular information.)

I consider ship launches to fall into two main categories: individual launches from launch zones (LZ) and launches on cruises (LC). In a cruise, a specific ship launches a series of rockets at different (sometimes widely different) geographical locations (launch points). Conceptually I think of the cruise path as a launch site and the launch points as different launch pads in that site. However, some launch points were used many times by different ships and cruises. These frequently used launch locations (e.g. OJP, in the Pacific at 160E 0N) are instead defined as a launch zone. Therefore, a cruise can consist of launches associated with the cruise's own site (LC) value and also with one or more standard LZs. For example, the Akademik Korolev (KORO) made a cruise in Feb-Mar 1973 (cruise GMS73A) which had launches from launch points LP1 to LP8 associated with site value GMS73A as well as launches from frequently-visited Indian Ocean sites IO65, IOCOR, RODR, IOSWR and IO6540. I recognize that this is a bit messy but I think making explicit that these sites are used by multiple ships and cruises is helpful.

The fields in the Platforms data file are

• Code: an Org Code for the platform (or for this time phase of the platform; alt phases for any platform in the current list, except for the LC39 mobile launch platforms)
• UCode: Unified Org Code for the platform. Usually the same as the Code field.
• StateCode: Org code for the country owning the platform.
• Type: Type of platform. Types are PLAT (generic platform) SHIP, SUB, and AIR (with obvious meanings).
• Class: What kind of organization owns the platform (A,B,C, D as per the Orgs database. Most often D here, as most platforms until recently were owned by the military).
• TStart and TStop - start and stop time of this launch site phase. Given in year, month, day format (actually Vague Date format. )

  
  Null values are indicated by a dash or an asterisk. Null TStart means the start date of the organization is unknown; Null Stop means that the organization is still in operation, or assumed to be so.

• ShortName - a short ASCII name of the site suitable for use in labels or tables, nominally a transliterated representation of the name in the host country's own language
• Name - a full name (up to 80 ASCII characters). Transliterated full name of the launch site, in host country's language. Where known, this is the formal name of the launch site.
• Location - City and locality of the launch site. In many cases this is given in the form UrbanArea-Suburb, e.g "Los Angeles-El Segundo".
• Longitude, Latitude, Error. - The values are geographic longitude (east-positive) and latitude in decimal degrees.

  
  The error field gives the uncertainty of the launch site location. Note that when a launch site contains multiple launch pads or launch points, the position given for the site is a bit arbitrary, and you should consult the LP (launch points) database for precise positions.

• Parent, when nonempty, provides an Org Code of the organization operating the launch site.
• ShortEName - Short name in English. Useful for summary information. Can be omitted when ShortName is itself English.
• Ename - Long (full) name in English.
• VClass - vehicle class, used mainly to describe ship class.
• VClassID - identification serial within vehicle class
• VID - another field for identification serial for the platform, e.g. IMO number for ships, where applicable.
• Group Used to group together platforms in the later subsections of this document.
• UName - Unicode version of full name in organization's parent language.

Catalog of platforms

• Soviet Oceanographic Vessels
• US Rocket Launch Research Vessels
• US Missile Test Launch Vessels
• US Aegis Missile Ships
• Indian Navy Missile Ships
• Other Rocket Launching Ships
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 611
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 613D4
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 629
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 629A
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 658
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 667/667A
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 667B
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 667BD
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 667BDR
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 667BDRM
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 941
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Project 955
• Soviet Missile Submarines - Launches from unknown sub
• US Navy Polaris Submarines
• US Navy Trident Submarines
• UK Royal Navy Missile Submarines
• Indian Missile Submarines
• Chinese Missile Submarines
• North Korean Missile Submarines
• French Missile Submarines
• US Rocket Launching Aircraft: Bombers
• US Rocket Launching Aircraft: Military Transports
• US Rocket Launching Aircraft: Fighters
• US Rocket Launching Aircraft: Commercial
• US Ground-Launched Rockoons
• Soviet/Russian Rocket Launching Aircraft