International Space Station
LIVE Real-time SGP4 position · one complete orbit · local sighting predictions
- Latitude
- —
- Longitude
- —
- Altitude
- —
- Speed
- —
- Azimuth
- Set location
- Elevation
- Set location
Set your location to calculate passes using sunlight, Earth shadow, and sky-darkness checks.
Use the interactive tracker above to follow the International Space Station (ISS) on a 2D map or 3D globe, view one complete calculated orbit, inspect live-updating position values, and check whether an upcoming pass may be visible from your location. The page is designed around the tracker first, with the guide below explaining what the numbers mean and how to use them.
How to use the ISS live tracker
The tracker propagates the latest available orbital elements and updates the displayed ISS position continuously in your browser. Use Follow station to keep the ISS centered, One orbit to show a complete revolution, and Visibility area to display the radio-horizon footprint. On supported devices you can switch between the 2D map and the 3D globe.
For local sighting predictions, enter your latitude and longitude or use device location. The pass calculator checks the station’s geometry relative to your observer position and applies sunlight and sky-darkness tests before marking a pass as optically visible.
What the position and visibility data means
- Latitude and longitude show the calculated sub-satellite point on Earth.
- Altitude and speed are derived from the propagated orbit, not from a direct telemetry feed from the spacecraft.
- Azimuth and elevation are observer-dependent and become useful after you set your location.
- Visible-pass results require both favorable geometry and lighting; cloud, haze and local light pollution are not measured by this page.
The ISS can often be seen without a telescope when it is above your horizon, illuminated by the Sun, and your local sky is dark enough. NASA’s Spot the Station service provides additional official viewing guidance.
How the orbital calculation works
The tracker uses current GP/OMM orbital elements supplied through CelesTrak and propagates them with the SGP4 model. This is the standard approach for calculating positions from public orbital elements. Because the source elements have an epoch and are refreshed periodically, the page also shows source freshness so you can distinguish a current calculation from delayed data.
NASA notes that the ISS travels in a 51.6-degree inclination orbit and completes about 16 orbits each day. The live tracker is therefore most useful as a continuously changing calculated position and pass-planning tool rather than a static location page.
Related space trackers
Continue with the Tiangong live tracker, explore the Starlink satellite map, or use Satellites Above Me Tonight to look for other objects that may cross your sky.