Two-line Elements
Keplerian elements parameters can be encoded as text in a number of formats. The most common of them is the NASA/NORAD "two-line elements"(TLE) format, originally designed for use with 80-column punched cards, but still in use because it is the most common format, and can be handled easily by all modern data storages as well.
Depending on the application and object orbit, the data derived from TLEs older than 30 days can become unreliable. Orbital positions can be calculated from TLEs through the SGP/SGP4/SDP4/SGP8/SDP8 algorithms.
Example of a two line element:
1 27651U 03004A 07083.49636287 .00000119 00000-0 30706-4 0 2692 2 27651 039.9951 132.2059 0025931 073.4582 286.9047 14.81909376225249Read more about this topic: Orbital Elements
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