Early this morning Celestrak’s two-line element (TLE) file for CubeSats was updated to include our satellite name, with the reference to the launch object number being removed. Up to now the TLE set used to track ZACUBE-1 (TshepisoSat) only contained the generic heading DNEPR OBJECT B.
TLE on 2014-01-14
As the objects from a launch are acquired and tracked by NORAD (using Radar) each object is given an International Designator, Satellite Number and generic satellite name – such as DNEPR OBJECT B. It is only later after the identity of an object can be confirmed that a specific satellite name is linked to an object. The three satellites sharing the first ISIPOD have now drifted far enough away from each other that a satellite can be matched with an object with reasonable confidence.
The above mentioned assignment is consistent with the object we think is ZACUBE-1. This assumption is also in line with the object the FUNcube-1 team feel best matches their satellite.
The Wikipedia article on the two-line element set can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-line_element_set
More information on each element in the set can be found here:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/SSOP_Help/tle_def.html
The TLEs can be found on Celestrak at the link below:
http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/cubesat.txt