VCM Dataset for the Classification of Resident Space Objects

The Vector Covariance Message (VCM) data comprise 22,303 RSOs over a period of six months (9/1/2022-2/28/2023). VCM data consist of Resident Space Objects (RSOs) ephemerides from a high-precision special perturbations orbit propagator and estimator using tracking observations. VCMs are issued by the US Space Force (USSF) Space Command (USSPACECOM) and were provided through an Orbital Data Request (ODR) the authors submitted to the 18th Space Defense Squadron (18th SDS). The dataset is organized into subfolders, each containing VCMs for a specific satellite. Filenames correspond to the satellite's NORAD ID (North American Aerospace Defense Catalog Number). A readme file provides details about the VCM content and format. Note that the full covariance matrix has been excluded for public release, whereas the standard deviation of error in satellite's position and velocity is provided. The VCM data have been used in the following works, "Early Classification of Space Objects based on Astrometric Time Series Data", presented at the 25th Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) in Maui, Hawaii, United States, and in "Astrometric Data for Early Time Series Classification of Resident Space Objects", published in the Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, 2025.