ISS Tracker

What is the ISS?

The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station in low Earth orbit, approximately 408 km above the surface. It is a joint project among five space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. The station orbits Earth roughly every 92 minutes at a speed of about 27,600 km/h.

How This Tracker Works

1. The ISS position is fetched in real-time from the Open Notify API (api.open-notify.org), which provides current latitude and longitude
2. The position is plotted on an interactive OpenStreetMap-powered map using Leaflet
3. The ground track shows the recent and projected orbit path based on the station's orbital parameters
4. Pass predictions are computed client-side using simplified orbital mechanics for your geographic coordinates

Viewing the ISS

• The ISS is visible to the naked eye as a bright, steady light moving across the sky
• Best viewed shortly after sunset or before sunrise when the station is illuminated by sunlight but the sky is dark
• A typical visible pass lasts 2-6 minutes
• The ISS appears brighter than most stars (magnitude -1 to -4)
• It does not blink or flash like aircraft; it moves in a smooth, steady arc

Key Facts

• Orbital altitude: ~408 km (253 miles)
• Orbital speed: ~7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h)
• Orbital period: ~92.65 minutes
• Orbital inclination: 51.6°
• Total mass: ~420,000 kg
• Habitable volume: ~388 m³
• First component launched: November 20, 1998

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