COSPAR ID (International Designator)

The COSPAR ID (Committee on Space Research identifier, also called the International Designator) encodes the launch year, the sequential launch number that year, and a letter code for each object from that launch. For example, 1998-067A means the 67th launch of 1998, object A (primary payload — ISS Zarya). Subsequent pieces from the same launch get B, C, D, etc. Unlike NORAD IDs, COSPAR IDs are internationally standardised and link objects to their launch event.