How this ISS tracker works
The International Space Station's orbit is published as a "two-line element set" (TLE), a short standard description of its path. This page downloads the latest TLE from CelesTrak, which redistributes public orbit data from the U.S. Space Force, and then uses the SGP4 orbit model (the same model used by professional trackers) to calculate where the station is every two seconds. Everything runs in your browser, so the tracker stays smooth and light. The yellow line shows where the ISS has been in the last 45 minutes and where it will go in the next 95 minutes.
ISS facts
- The ISS orbits about 400–420 km above Earth.
- It travels at roughly 27,600 km/h (about 7.66 km per second).
- One orbit takes about 92 minutes, so the crew sees around 16 sunrises and sunsets every day.
- Because its orbit is tilted 51.6° to the equator, the station passes over everywhere between about 51.6° north and south, which covers most of the world's population.
How to see the ISS with your own eyes
The ISS is the third-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. You can see it without a telescope when two things are true: your sky is dark, and the station is still lit by the Sun high above you. That usually means within about two hours after sunset or before sunrise. Press "Find next passes over me" to list upcoming passes. Look for a steady, bright white dot moving smoothly across the sky in a few minutes. It does not blink like a plane. Passes that climb higher (for example 40° or more) are brighter and easier to spot.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ISS position real-time?
Yes. It is calculated every two seconds from the latest public orbit elements. Accuracy is usually within a few kilometres.
Why does the path look like a wave?
A circular orbit tilted to the equator looks like a sine wave on a flat world map, and it shifts west each orbit as Earth turns underneath.
Do you store my location?
No. Your location is used only in your browser to calculate passes and is never sent to our server.
Can I see the ISS every night?
No. Visible passes come in windows of several days, then there may be a week or more with none at convenient times.
More live Earth & Space tools
Data and credits: Orbit data: CelesTrak (public U.S. Space Force GP data). Orbit math: satellite.js (MIT). Map imagery: NASA GIBS (public domain). Labels © OpenStreetMap contributors. See all Live Earth & Space tools and our credits page.