diff --git a/src/layers/satellites/catalog.js b/src/layers/satellites/catalog.js
index 097d9e3be..008b2a19d 100644
--- a/src/layers/satellites/catalog.js
+++ b/src/layers/satellites/catalog.js
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ export function createCatalog({ state: layerState, services, parts, source }) {
           const entry = entries[i];
           const satrec = twoline2satrec(entry.line1, entry.line2);
           if (!satrec || satrec.error !== 0) continue;
+          // satellite.js omits the designator the launch-year match reads.
+          satrec.intldesg = entry.line1.slice(9, 17).trim();
           const noradId = noradIdFromSatnum(satrec.satnum);
           if (layerState._catalog.has(noradId)) continue; // core catalog keeps priority
           const pos = parts.orbits.propagatePosition(satrec, now);
diff --git a/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.js b/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.js
index 01653611c..168a5903b 100644
--- a/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.js
+++ b/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.js
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ export function createIngestion({
         for (const entry of allEntries) {
           const satrec = twoline2satrec(entry.line1, entry.line2);
           if (!satrec || satrec.error !== 0) continue;
+          // satellite.js omits the designator the launch-year match reads.
+          satrec.intldesg = entry.line1.slice(9, 17).trim();
 
           const noradId = noradIdFromSatnum(satrec.satnum);
           if (seen.has(noradId)) continue;
diff --git a/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.test.mjs b/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.test.mjs
index 313d999ee..7605b318c 100644
--- a/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/satellites/ingestion.test.mjs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import test from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { parseTleText } from '../../sources/tle.js';
 import { createIngestion } from './ingestion.js';
+import { createOrbits } from './orbits.js';
 
 // The ISS set (1 January 2024) with its catalog field swapped per satellite.
 const ISS_LINE1 =
@@ -78,3 +79,22 @@ test('every Alpha-5 satellite keeps its own catalog entry through dedupe', async
   assert.deepEqual([...state._points.keys()], [100000, 110001, 339999]);
   assert.equal(state._count, 3);
 });
+
+test('a mission payload does not match a loaded satellite from another launch year', async (t) => {
+  t.mock.method(console, 'log', () => {});
+  t.mock.method(console, 'warn', () => {});
+  // SXM-11, international designator 2026-148A.
+  const { state, update } = ingestionFor(
+    [
+      'SXM-11',
+      '1 69728U 26148A   26208.65166678  .00000015  00000+0  00000+0 0  9990',
+      '2 69728   0.0784 264.9826 0001797 240.4588 273.9506  1.00271527   440',
+    ].join('\n'),
+  );
+  await update();
+  const { getSatelliteOrbitTrack } = createOrbits({ state });
+  const track = (launchTime) =>
+    getSatelliteOrbitTrack('Sirius SXM-11', { launchTime });
+  assert.equal(track('2026-06-29T02:25:00Z')?.noradId, 69728);
+  assert.equal(track('2030-06-29T02:25:00Z'), null);
+});
diff --git a/src/layers/satellites/stale.test.mjs b/src/layers/satellites/stale.test.mjs
index 89b4d2dbf..9cca23610 100644
--- a/src/layers/satellites/stale.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/satellites/stale.test.mjs
@@ -235,6 +235,20 @@ test('dense provenance belongs to its admitted records and clears on removal', a
   );
 });
 
+test('dense extras keep their launch year for mission orbit matching', async (t) => {
+  const f = await fixture(t);
+  await f.update();
+  f.state._params.catalog = 'dense';
+  assert.equal((await f.parts.catalog._loadDenseCatalog()).status, 'ready');
+  // Every fixture set carries the 1998-067A designator.
+  const track = (launchTime) =>
+    f.parts.orbits.getSatelliteOrbitTrack('OWNED ORBIT FIXTURE 25551', {
+      launchTime,
+    });
+  assert.equal(track('1998-11-20T06:40:00Z')?.noradId, 25551);
+  assert.equal(track('2026-06-29T02:25:00Z'), null);
+});
+
 test('cancelling dense replacement preserves admitted stale extras until rebuild', async (t) => {
   const f = await fixture(t);
   await f.update();