Update SGP4/GPS Satellites Tool

The Update SGP4/GPS Satellites tool enables you to update the element sets of one or more satellites in the current scenario that are using the SGP4 or GPS propagator.

To open the Update SGP4/GPS Satellites tool, select Update SGP4/GPS Satellites from the Utilities menu.

Select Show SGP4 Satellites to display all satellites in the scenario that are using the SGP4 propagator and Show GPS Satellites to display all satellites that are using the GPS propagator; by default, both options are selected. Satellites that are not set to update (i.e., they were set using the Define/Import Elements mode) will not be displayed in the list unless you select the Show Non-Updateable Satellites option.

All satellites that satisfy the selected criteria are displayed in a table with the following fields:

Field Description
ID Displays the ID of the satellite (SSC for SGP4 satellites; PRN for GPS satellites)
Name Displays the name of the satellite.
Propagator Displays what propagator was used to create the satellite's ephemeris.
Update Mode

Displays the Update option selected on the satellite's Orbit Page. When the Update button is clicked, each update mode will do the following based on which mode is selected:

  • File - Rereads the file selected on the Orbit Page.
  • AGI Server - Uses the AGI Server to update the satellites.
  • None - Does not update the satellite.
File The source file.

Update Mode

You can change the update mode of one or more SGP4 or GPS satellites from within the Update SGP4/GPS Satellites tool if you have selected to display only one type (SGP4 or GPS) of satellite in the table. Click on a satellite, use the Shift or Ctrl key to select a range of satellites or multiple individual satellites, or click Select All to select all of the satellites displayed in the table. Select Change selected satellites update mode and then select the new mode (and, if applicable, source file). Click Update to apply the change to all selected satellites.

If Change selected satellites update mode is not selected, then clicking Update will prompt the tool to re-query the data source (online or file) for each satellite that is using an automatic update mode; these satellites will then be re-propagated.