**Important Notice**
  1998 December 24

Effective 1999 January 01, the master list (tle-new.txt) will be 
converted to a list containing only items launched within the last 30 
days. Many of the objects currently found in the master list are already 
available in other categorical lists (e.g., amateur radio, GPS, weather) 
and the format of the current master list results in many objects being 
downloaded which users don't use or need. Objects not currently in one 
of the existing categorical lists will be added to one (or placed in a 
miscellaneous list, if needed). A master index will be provided to make 
it easy to find which list(s) a particular satellite is in.

In addition to trying to help users more easily get the data they need, 
this change should also help to reduce the overall amount of data 
downloaded from this site by eliminating the unneeded data. Monthly 
downloads are quickly approaching the 3GB level, which when exceeded 
will double our monthly operations costs to upgrade to the 4GB/month 
level.

It is my intention to continue to keep this site available to all users 
at no cost and ensure you can easily get the data you need. I need your 
understanding and support to help keep maintenance costs down. Once the 
new system goes into effect, if you can't find a particular satellite 
you're looking for, please let me know and I'll be sure it's added to 
the appropriate list.

Dr TS Kelso [tskelso@celestrak.com]
Last Updated: 1998 December 28 21:49 -0500
