On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 01:08:47 GMT, JATO
wrote:

The new version of TheSky is not redistributing the data. It is just
retrieving the data in a semi-automated fashion, using your user name and
password. Without login info (which the user must supply) the latest
version of TheSky would not be able to obtain the TLE data.

Right, that's what I said. And in most cases, there is no need to
redistribute the data, since it is available directly from Space-Track.
Certainly, there is no reason for Celestrak to do so- it is really just
acting as a mirror. As far as what actually constitutes redistribution,
that remains to be seen. For instance, if there is a large meteor, and I
check Space-Track for decays and determine that there were none, I
suppose (by the letter of the agreement) that there could be a problem
if I simply stated on my website that there was no decay. I doubt there
would ever be an issue with that, however.

As I said, I don't see any need for these restrictions- IMO they simply
represent the sort of paranoia that led to things like restrictions on
nail files on planes and the creation of the Dept of Homeland Security.
But such is the reality of our times- insanity in high places. While
this new policy affecting redistribution is silly and annoying, I don't
see it having much real impact on the people using the data.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com