Introduction

Welcome to the Sherpa OSINT API. Our infrastructure continuously ingests data from dozens of disconnected global arrays (ADS-B exchanges, USGS seismic rigs, NORAD Celestrak datasets, public unsecured webcams, and AIS vessel trackers), homogenizes the telemetry, and serves it via a single, ultra-low-latency RESTful API.

This API is designed for enterprise integration, enabling developers to build global situational awareness dashboards, supply chain trackers, and early-warning systems without managing complex ETL pipelines.

Quickstart Guide

Get your first telemetry response in under 3 minutes.

1. Sign up for a Sandbox Key. Visit the Pricing page and select the Hobbyist tier. A mock Stripe interface will issue an `sk_hob_` prefixed key instantly. Or, subscribe directly via the RapidAPI Marketplace.
2. Set your headers. All requests to the `/query` endpoint require the `X-RapidAPI-Key` (or the legacy `x-api-key`) header.
3. Run your first query. Execute the following cURL command to fetch live aircraft data:

curl -X GET "https://api.sherpa-solutions.com/v1/osint/query?type=flights&limit=5" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: YOUR_GENERATED_KEY_HERE"

Environments

The Sherpa OSINT API provides multiple environments for safe development.

Authentication

The OSINT API uses API keys to authenticate requests. You can view and manage your API keys in the developer dashboard.

Your API keys carry many privileges, so be sure to keep them secure. Do not share your secret API keys in publicly accessible areas such as GitHub, client-side code, and so forth.

Authentication to the API is performed via the HTTP Header X-RapidAPI-Key (or the legacy x-api-key).

# Example Python Request
import requests

url = "https://api.sherpa-solutions.com/v1/osint/query"
headers = {
    "X-RapidAPI-Key": "your_secret_key"
}
params = {"type": "earthquakes", "limit": 10}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)
print(response.json())

Rate Limiting

To ensure system stability, limits are applied to the number of API requests your application can make.

If you exceed your limit, the API will respond with a `429 Too Many Requests` status code. Enterprise customers have access to WebSockets for unthrottled streaming data.

Error Codes

We use standard HTTP response codes to indicate the success or failure of an API request.

API Reference

POST /api/v1/osint/authenticate

Exchanges a registered email for a stateless API key. This simulates a payment gateway or OAuth flow.

Request Body

{
  "email": "string (required)",
  "tier": "string (hobbyist, professional, enterprise) (required)"
}

Response

{
  "status": "success",
  "api_key": "sk_hob_7a8b9c...cd4e"
}

GET /api/v1/osint/query

The core telemetry endpoint. Dynamically routes your authenticated request to the requested planetary database shard.

Parameters

Code Snippet: Node.js (Axios)

const axios = require('axios');

const options = {
  method: 'GET',
  url: 'https://api.sherpa-solutions.com/v1/osint/query',
  params: { type: 'military_flights', limit: '50' },
  headers: { 'X-RapidAPI-Key': 'YOUR_KEY' }
};

axios.request(options).then(function (response) {
  console.log(response.data);
}).catch(function (error) {
  console.error(error);
});

Data Schemas

Detailed breakdown of the JSON arrays returned by each `type` query parameter.

flights & military_flights

satellites

cctv

earthquakes

vessels