diff --git a/src/layers/launches/source.js b/src/layers/launches/source.js
index 39a49e36c..2779e7d81 100644
--- a/src/layers/launches/source.js
+++ b/src/layers/launches/source.js
@@ -2,16 +2,24 @@
 export function createLaunchSource({
   fetchImpl = (...args) => globalThis.fetch(...args),
 } = {}) {
+  /** The launch payload, and whether the proxy served it from a stale cache. */
+  async function getLaunchSnapshot({ signal } = {}) {
+    signal?.throwIfAborted();
+    const response = await fetchImpl('/api/launches', { signal });
+    if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
+    const payload = await response.json();
+    signal?.throwIfAborted();
+    if (!Array.isArray(payload) && !Array.isArray(payload?.results))
+      throw new Error('Malformed launch snapshot');
+    return {
+      payload,
+      stale: response.headers?.get?.('x-gev-cache') === 'STALE-ERROR',
+    };
+  }
   return {
-    async getLaunches({ signal } = {}) {
-      signal?.throwIfAborted();
-      const response = await fetchImpl('/api/launches', { signal });
-      if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
-      const payload = await response.json();
-      signal?.throwIfAborted();
-      if (!Array.isArray(payload) && !Array.isArray(payload?.results))
-        throw new Error('Malformed launch snapshot');
-      return payload;
+    getLaunchSnapshot,
+    async getLaunches(options) {
+      return (await getLaunchSnapshot(options)).payload;
     },
     async getActiveTle({ signal } = {}) {
       signal?.throwIfAborted();
diff --git a/src/layers/satellites/source.js b/src/layers/satellites/source.js
index 8bcab7b02..e900d34b0 100644
--- a/src/layers/satellites/source.js
+++ b/src/layers/satellites/source.js
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@ export function createSatelliteSource({
       const response = await fetchImpl(`/api/celestrak/${group}`, { signal });
       const text = response.ok ? await response.text() : '';
       signal?.throwIfAborted();
-      return { ok: response.ok, status: response.status, text };
+      // The proxy serves its last copy, marked STALE-ERROR, when CelesTrak
+      // is down.
+      const stale = response.headers?.get?.('x-tle-cache') === 'STALE-ERROR';
+      return { ok: response.ok, status: response.status, text, stale };
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/aviation.js b/src/tools/queries/aviation.js
index 0bf520d0d..df904297c 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/aviation.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/aviation.js
@@ -118,10 +118,17 @@ export const aircraftInArea = defineTool({
       .map((record) => aircraftRow(record, center))
       .sort((a, b) => a.distance_km - b.distance_km);
     const kind = args.military ? 'military aircraft' : 'aircraft';
+    // A regional fallback feed covers only part of the world around the
+    // area's center; say so rather than imply a worldwide answer.
+    const regional = /regional/i.test(snapshot.coverage || '');
+    const notes = [
+      ...(regional ? [`regional feed: ${snapshot.coverage}`] : []),
+      ...(snapshot.freshness === 'stale' ? ['data may be stale'] : []),
+    ];
     return {
       summary:
         `${rows.length} ${kind} in ${area.label}` +
-        (snapshot.freshness === 'stale' ? ' (data may be stale).' : '.'),
+        (notes.length ? ` (${notes.join('; ')}).` : '.'),
       data: { ...capRows(rows, args.limit), ...snapshotInfo(snapshot) },
     };
   },
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/aviation.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/aviation.test.mjs
index 7594029ce..4db854345 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/aviation.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/aviation.test.mjs
@@ -337,3 +337,17 @@ test('aircraft searches keep the feeds that answered and name the others', async
       error.code === 'unavailable' && error.message === 'OpenSky HTTP 503',
   );
 });
+
+test('a regional fallback feed is named in the answer', async () => {
+  const regional = feed([record('abc123', 37.6, -122.3)], {
+    source: 'adsb.lol',
+    coverage: '250nm regional fallback',
+  });
+  const result = await composeCatalog({
+    tools: coreTools,
+    services: { aircraft: regional },
+  }).call('aircraft_in_area', {
+    area: { lat: 37.6, lon: -122.3, radius_km: 20 },
+  });
+  assert.match(result.summary, /\(regional feed: 250nm regional fallback\)\.$/);
+});
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/media.js b/src/tools/queries/media.js
index a0a551196..b4d3bf38c 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/media.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/media.js
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ export const findRadioStations = defineTool({
   name: 'find_radio_stations',
   title: 'Radio stations',
   description:
-    'Internet radio stations from the Radio Browser directory, by area and/or ' +
+    'Internet radio stations from a directory of popular Radio Browser ' +
+    'stations, not every station, by area and/or ' +
     'a search term matched against name, tags, language and country. Each ' +
     "result includes the broadcaster's public stream URL.",
   inputSchema: {
@@ -186,9 +187,20 @@ export const findRadioStations = defineTool({
     if (center) rows.sort((a, b) => a.distance_km - b.distance_km);
     const where = area ? ` in ${area.label}` : '';
     const what = args.query ? ` matching "${args.query}"` : '';
+    // The directory is a selection of popular stations, not every station.
+    const notes = [
+      `from a directory of ${directory.stations.length} popular stations`,
+      ...(directory.stale ? ['the directory may be stale'] : []),
+      ...(directory.degraded ? ['the directory is incomplete right now'] : []),
+    ];
     return {
-      summary: `${countNoun(rows.length, 'radio station')}${what}${where}.`,
-      data: capRows(rows, args.limit),
+      summary: `${countNoun(rows.length, 'radio station')}${what}${where} (${notes.join('; ')}).`,
+      data: {
+        ...capRows(rows, args.limit),
+        directory_size: directory.stations.length,
+        stale: directory.stale === true,
+        degraded: directory.degraded === true,
+      },
     };
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/media.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/media.test.mjs
index a1916c111..a5c7a4a56 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/media.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/media.test.mjs
@@ -185,7 +185,12 @@ test('radio stations match area and every search term', async () => {
   const jazz = await catalog.call('find_radio_stations', {
     query: 'jazz norwegian',
   });
-  assert.equal(jazz.summary, '1 radio station matching "jazz norwegian".');
+  assert.equal(
+    jazz.summary,
+    '1 radio station matching "jazz norwegian" (from a directory of 3 popular stations).',
+  );
+  assert.equal(jazz.data.directory_size, 3);
+  assert.equal(jazz.data.stale, false);
   assert.equal(jazz.data.rows[0].distance_km, undefined);
   const classicalTexas = await catalog.call('find_radio_stations', {
     query: 'classical texas',
@@ -220,3 +225,24 @@ test('malformed image results are a programming error', async () => {
     /malformed images/,
   );
 });
+
+test('a stale or degraded radio directory is reported', async () => {
+  const catalog = composeCatalog({
+    tools: coreTools,
+    services: {
+      radio: {
+        getDirectory: async () => ({
+          stations: [],
+          stale: true,
+          degraded: true,
+        }),
+      },
+    },
+  });
+  const result = await catalog.call('find_radio_stations', { query: 'jazz' });
+  assert.match(
+    result.summary,
+    /the directory may be stale; the directory is incomplete right now\)\.$/,
+  );
+  assert.equal(result.data.degraded, true);
+});
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/space.js b/src/tools/queries/space.js
index d02796429..ad65f80e8 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/space.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/space.js
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ export const getRecentLaunches = defineTool({
   },
   requires: ['launches'],
   async run(args, { services, signal }) {
-    const payload = await services.launches.getLaunches({ signal });
+    const { payload, stale } = services.launches.getLaunchSnapshot
+      ? await services.launches.getLaunchSnapshot({ signal })
+      : {
+          payload: await services.launches.getLaunches({ signal }),
+          stale: false,
+        };
     const launches = Array.isArray(payload) ? payload : payload.results;
     if (!Array.isArray(launches))
       throw new ToolError('malformed', 'The launch feed returned no launches');
@@ -49,8 +54,10 @@ export const getRecentLaunches = defineTool({
       .sort((a, b) => String(b.time).localeCompare(String(a.time)));
     const result = capRows(rows, args.limit);
     return {
-      summary: `${countNoun(rows.length, 'launch', 'launches')} in the last 30 days${rows[0] ? `; latest ${rows[0].name}` : ''}.`,
-      data: result,
+      summary:
+        `${countNoun(rows.length, 'launch', 'launches')} in the last 30 days${rows[0] ? `; latest ${rows[0].name}` : ''}` +
+        (stale ? ' (data may be stale).' : '.'),
+      data: { ...result, stale },
     };
   },
 });
@@ -103,7 +110,7 @@ async function readCatalog(services, group, signal) {
       'unavailable',
       `The ${group} satellite catalog is unavailable (HTTP ${result.status})`,
     );
-  return parseTleText(result.text).flatMap((entry) => {
+  const entries = parseTleText(result.text).flatMap((entry) => {
     try {
       return [
         {
@@ -116,6 +123,9 @@ async function readCatalog(services, group, signal) {
       return [];
     }
   });
+  // The proxy serves its last copy when CelesTrak is down; old orbital
+  // elements make predictions drift.
+  return { entries, stale: result.stale === true };
 }
 
 function matchSatellite(entries, wanted) {
@@ -164,7 +174,8 @@ export const nextSatellitePass = defineTool({
   async run(args, { services, signal }) {
     const point = await resolvePoint(args.location, { services, signal });
     const group = args.group ?? 'stations';
-    const entries = await readCatalog(services, group, signal);
+    const { entries, stale } = await readCatalog(services, group, signal);
+    const staleNote = stale ? ' (orbit data may be stale)' : '';
     const satellite = matchSatellite(entries, args.satellite);
     if (!satellite)
       throw new ToolError(
@@ -184,8 +195,9 @@ export const nextSatellitePass = defineTool({
     const name = satellite.name;
     if (!pass)
       return {
-        summary: `${name} has no ${args.visible_only ? 'visible ' : ''}pass over ${point.label} in the next ${hours} hours.`,
+        summary: `${name} has no ${args.visible_only ? 'visible ' : ''}pass over ${point.label} in the next ${hours} hours${staleNote}.`,
         data: {
+          stale,
           location: point,
           satellite: name,
           norad: satellite.norad,
@@ -196,8 +208,9 @@ export const nextSatellitePass = defineTool({
       summary:
         `${name} next rises over ${point.label} at ${isoTime(pass.riseMs)} in the ${compass(pass.riseAzDeg)}, ` +
         `peaking at ${Math.round(pass.maxElevDeg)}°` +
-        `${pass.visible ? '; visible to the naked eye' : ''}.`,
+        `${pass.visible ? '; visible to the naked eye' : ''}${staleNote}.`,
       data: {
+        stale,
         location: point,
         satellite: name,
         norad: satellite.norad,
@@ -238,7 +251,8 @@ export const satellitesOverhead = defineTool({
     const group = args.group ?? 'stations';
     const minimum = args.min_elevation_deg ?? 10;
     const at = nowMs(services);
-    const rows = (await readCatalog(services, group, signal))
+    const { entries, stale } = await readCatalog(services, group, signal);
+    const rows = entries
       .flatMap((entry) => {
         const look = lookAnglesAt(entry.satrec, at, point.lat, point.lon);
         return look && look.elevDeg >= minimum
@@ -255,9 +269,12 @@ export const satellitesOverhead = defineTool({
       })
       .sort((a, b) => b.elevation_deg - a.elevation_deg);
     return {
-      summary: `${countNoun(rows.length, 'satellite')} from the ${group} group ${rows.length === 1 ? 'is' : 'are'} at least ${minimum}° above ${point.label} at ${isoTime(at)}.`,
+      summary:
+        `${countNoun(rows.length, 'satellite')} from the ${group} group ${rows.length === 1 ? 'is' : 'are'} at least ${minimum}° above ${point.label} at ${isoTime(at)}` +
+        (stale ? ' (orbit data may be stale).' : '.'),
       data: {
         ...capRows(rows, args.limit),
+        stale,
         location: point,
         group,
         at: isoTime(at),
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/space.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/space.test.mjs
index 8f77fb041..376cf54d7 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/space.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/space.test.mjs
@@ -150,3 +150,49 @@ test('satellites overhead are those above the elevation, highest first', async (
     /^0 satellites from the stations group are at least 90° above/,
   );
 });
+
+test('stale orbit and launch data are reported', async () => {
+  const stale = {
+    readGroup: async () => ({ ok: true, status: 200, text: TLE, stale: true }),
+  };
+  const catalog = composeCatalog({
+    tools: coreTools,
+    services: {
+      satellites: stale,
+      clock: CLOCK,
+      launches: {
+        getLaunchSnapshot: async () => ({ payload: [], stale: true }),
+      },
+    },
+  });
+  const overhead = await catalog.call('satellites_overhead', {
+    location: { lat: 0, lon: 0 },
+  });
+  assert.equal(overhead.data.stale, true);
+  assert.match(overhead.summary, /\(orbit data may be stale\)\.$/);
+  const launches = await catalog.call('get_recent_launches', {});
+  assert.equal(launches.data.stale, true);
+  assert.match(launches.summary, /\(data may be stale\)\.$/);
+});
+
+test('satellite and launch sources read the proxies stale markers', async () => {
+  const { createSatelliteSource } =
+    await import('../../layers/satellites/source.js');
+  const { createLaunchSource } =
+    await import('../../layers/launches/source.js');
+  const satellites = createSatelliteSource({
+    fetchImpl: async () =>
+      new Response(TLE, { headers: { 'x-tle-cache': 'STALE-ERROR' } }),
+  });
+  assert.equal((await satellites.readGroup('stations')).stale, true);
+  const launches = createLaunchSource({
+    fetchImpl: async () =>
+      Response.json([], { headers: { 'X-GEV-Cache': 'STALE-ERROR' } }),
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(await launches.getLaunchSnapshot(), {
+    payload: [],
+    stale: true,
+  });
+  const { getLaunches } = launches;
+  assert.deepEqual(await getLaunches(), []);
+});
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/surveillance.js b/src/tools/queries/surveillance.js
index d6fbd346a..6571036d5 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/surveillance.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/surveillance.js
@@ -77,12 +77,21 @@ export const findAlprCameras = defineTool({
         distance_km: round(distanceKm(center, point), 2),
       }))
       .sort((a, b) => a.distance_km - b.distance_km);
+    const notes = [
+      ...(result.saturated
+        ? ['partial: some cameras were not loaded; use a smaller area']
+        : []),
+      ...(result.stale ? ['data may be stale'] : []),
+    ];
     return {
       summary:
         `${countNoun(rows.length, 'license plate reader camera')} mapped in ${area.label}` +
-        (result.stale ? ' (data may be stale).' : '.'),
+        (notes.length ? ` (${notes.join('; ')}).` : '.'),
       data: {
         ...capRows(rows, args.limit),
+        // Some tiles failed, or a dense area was trimmed to the source limit.
+        complete: !result.saturated,
+        stale: result.stale === true,
         source: services.alpr.label ?? null,
         attribution: services.alpr.attribution ?? null,
       },
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/surveillance.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/surveillance.test.mjs
index 8b4a151bc..5c76a04f2 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/surveillance.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/surveillance.test.mjs
@@ -95,3 +95,21 @@ test('coverage, size and zoom limits are reported', async () => {
     /smaller, city-sized area/,
   );
 });
+
+test('a saturated camera fetch is reported as partial', async () => {
+  const catalog = composeCatalog({
+    tools: coreTools,
+    services: {
+      alpr: alpr({
+        records: [camera('alpr:1', 30.3, -97.7)],
+        stale: false,
+        saturated: true,
+      }),
+    },
+  });
+  const result = await catalog.call('find_alpr_cameras', {
+    area: { lat: 30.3, lon: -97.7, radius_km: 5 },
+  });
+  assert.equal(result.data.complete, false);
+  assert.match(result.summary, /partial: some cameras were not loaded/);
+});