ISS Tracker
Real-time telemetry, ground track mapping, and celestial alignment monitoring.
Mission Data Files
🛰️ I.S.S. // The Orbiting Laboratory
You are tracking the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA.
🌕 MOON // The Sub-Lunar Point
The Moon icon on the map represents the Zenith Point. This is the exact geographic coordinate on Earth where the Moon is currently 90° overhead.
☀️ SUN // Solar Noon Marker
The Sun icon tracks the Sub-Solar Point. This is the spot on Earth where it is currently "High Noon" (12:00 PM Solar Time). Shadows here disappear directly under objects.
- The icon moves West at 1,000 mph (at the equator).
- It oscillates North/South over the year, creating our Seasons.
- The "Daylight" side of Earth is the huge circle surrounding this dot.
⚡ PHYSICS // Ludicrous Speed
The ISS travels at 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h). It is hard to visualize that kind of speed, so let's put it in human terms.
ISS Milestones
A quarter-century of continuous human presence in orbit.
First Module Launched
Russia's Zarya module reaches orbit on November 20, followed weeks later by the U.S. Unity node — the station's first physical connection.
Continuous Occupation Begins
Expedition 1 arrives on November 2. The ISS has been continuously crewed every single day since — the longest unbroken human presence in space.
Assembly Complete
The final major U.S. truss segment and Space Shuttle flights wrap up construction, bringing the station to its current roughly football-field-sized footprint.
Commercial Crew Era
SpaceX's Crew Dragon carries astronauts to the ISS for the first time, ending nearly a decade of sole reliance on Russian Soyuz launches for U.S. crew rotations.
Planned Deorbit
NASA's current plan retires the station via a controlled deorbit into a remote area of the South Pacific, ending operations after more than three decades in orbit.
Observer's Field Guide
Data is only half the fun. Here is how to actually see the station with your own eyes.
What does it look like?
The ISS looks like an incredibly bright star moving steadily across the sky. It does not blink (unlike airplanes) and it makes no sound.
When can I see it?
You can only see the ISS near Dawn or Dusk. This is the "Goldilocks" time when your location is dark (night), but the station—400km up—is still reflecting sunlight.
- Daytime: Sky is too bright.
- Middle of Night: Station is eclipsed.
- Twilight: Perfect visibility.
How to Photograph It
You don't need a telescope. To capture the ISS as a "streak" of light:
Manual
400-800
f/2.8 - f/4
15-30 sec
Use a tripod. The long exposure will turn the moving station into a solid line of light across your photo.