ISS Live Tracker –
International Space Station
Track the ISS in real time. See the current position, find out when it flies over your city, check who is on board and catch the NASA live stream.
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The International Space Station (ISS) is a joint project of NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and CSA (Canada). It is the largest structure ever assembled in space and has been continuously inhabited since 2 November 2000 — giving it over 25 uninterrupted years of human presence in orbit.
Orbiting at an altitude of 408–422 km, the ISS travels at 7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h) and completes a full orbit of Earth every 92.9 minutes. This means the ISS passes over the same location on Earth roughly every 90 minutes, making it one of the most frequently observable objects in the night sky worldwide.
The station spans 109 metres across its solar arrays — about the size of an American football field — and weighs approximately 420,000 kg. It is visible from virtually any populated location on Earth between 52°N and 52°S latitude, which covers nearly all of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia.
The current crew of 7 people (Expedition 74) conducts research in microgravity that advances medicine, materials science, environmental monitoring and our understanding of the human body in space — work that is only possible in the unique conditions of low Earth orbit.
Where Is the ISS Right Now?
The live ISS tracker at the top of this page shows the exact position of the International Space Station updated every second. The station travels at 7.66 km/s — about 28 times the speed of sound — completing one full orbit of Earth every 92.9 minutes. Because of this speed, its ground track changes continuously: the ISS is never in the same position twice within a short time window. The live data panel shows current latitude, longitude, altitude and the country or ocean directly below the station.
How to Find Out When the ISS Flies Over Your City
Enter your city name in the location field or tap "Use current location" to grant GPS access. The tracker instantly calculates every ISS pass for the next 7 days. Each pass card shows the exact start time, maximum elevation, duration and compass direction. The countdown timer displays how long remains until the next pass. Use the Night & Dusk filter to show only passes where the ISS is actually visible — daytime passes are invisible because the sky is too bright.
How to See the ISS with the Naked Eye
No telescope is needed. The ISS appears as a bright, steady point of light moving smoothly and silently across the sky — noticeably faster than any aircraft and without blinking. At its brightest it reaches magnitude −4, making it the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. The best viewing conditions are within an hour of sunset or sunrise: your location is in darkness, but the station is still illuminated by direct sunlight. Passes at higher elevations (above 40°) are brighter and easier to see.
What Is the Day/Night and Visibility Circle?
The map shows the real-time day and night boundary (terminator line) and the current position of the Sun. The dashed circle around the ISS represents its visibility horizon — the area on Earth's surface from which the station is theoretically above the horizon at that moment. Observers anywhere within this circle could potentially see the ISS if it is dark enough at their location. Toggle these layers on and off using the controls on the left side of the map.
ISS Pass Predictions and Notifications
Pass predictions are calculated using orbital mechanics based on the ISS's current position, altitude, speed and inclination of 51.64°. The tracker shows passes for up to 7 days ahead. Because the ISS orbit shifts westward with each pass due to Earth's rotation, the station covers different ground tracks every day. Enable browser notifications to receive an automatic alert 10 minutes before the ISS appears over your horizon — giving you just enough time to step outside and find the right direction.
ISS Tracker for Mobile Devices
The ISS tracker is fully optimised for smartphones and tablets. All features work on mobile: the interactive map, live position data, pass predictions, GPS location detection and push notifications. The map supports pinch-to-zoom and touch drag. Because the ISS moves so quickly, checking the tracker on your phone while outdoors is the most practical way to follow the station in real time and point others in the right direction as it crosses the sky.
Where is the ISS right now?
The ISS position is updated every second on the live map above. The exact latitude, longitude, current altitude and orbital speed are displayed in the data panel beneath the map. The "Currently over" field shows which country or ocean the ISS is flying above at this very moment. The station completes one orbit every 92.9 minutes, so its position changes rapidly.
How do I find out when the ISS passes over my city?
Enter your city name in the location field or tap "Use current location" to allow GPS access. The tracker immediately calculates all ISS passes for your location over the next 7 days. For each pass you see the exact start time, duration, maximum elevation angle and compass direction. The countdown timer at the top shows how many hours, minutes and seconds remain until the next visible pass.
Can I see the ISS without a telescope?
Yes — absolutely. The ISS is clearly visible to the naked eye as a very bright, fast-moving point of light. No telescope or binoculars are needed. At its brightest, the ISS reaches magnitude −4, making it the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. It crosses the sky in 2–6 minutes and moves noticeably faster than any aircraft. The key requirement is a dark sky — passes just after sunset or before sunrise, when you are in darkness but the ISS is still in sunlight, give the best results.
Why is the ISS sometimes not visible during a pass?
Two conditions must be met simultaneously for the ISS to be visible: (1) your location must be in darkness — nighttime, civil twilight or nautical twilight — and (2) the ISS must be in direct sunlight at the same moment. During daytime passes, the ISS is in sunlight but so is the sky around you, making it impossible to see. The visibility badge on each pass card (🌑 Night / 🌆 Dusk / 🌅 Twilight / ☀️ Day) clearly shows whether a given pass will be observable.
How bright is the ISS?
The ISS can reach an apparent magnitude of −4 at its brightest — comparable to Venus at peak brightness and clearly visible even from light-polluted city centres. The actual brightness depends on the angle between the Sun, the ISS and your viewing position. The magnitude estimate (★ to ★★★★) shown on each pass card in the tracker indicates how bright that specific pass will be from your location.
How fast does the ISS move across the sky?
The ISS typically takes 2–6 minutes to cross the visible sky from horizon to horizon. It moves at approximately 1 degree per second at maximum elevation, which is noticeably faster than any commercial aircraft. At its orbital altitude, the ISS travels at 7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h) — fast enough to circumnavigate the Earth 15.5 times every 24 hours.
How high is the ISS?
The ISS orbits at an altitude of approximately 408–422 km above Earth's surface. This altitude is maintained through periodic reboost manoeuvres because atmospheric drag gradually slows the station. The exact current altitude is shown in the live data panel of the tracker. At this height, the ISS is well above commercial aircraft (which fly at 9–12 km) and well below geostationary satellites (at 35,786 km).
How long has the ISS been in orbit?
The first module of the ISS, the Russian Zarya module, was launched on 20 November 1998. Continuous human habitation began on 2 November 2000 with the arrival of the Expedition 1 crew. The ISS has been permanently crewed for over 25 years — the longest continuous human presence in space. The "Days since first crew" counter in the ISS Profile section of this page shows the exact count.
Who is currently on the ISS?
The ISS is currently home to the Expedition 74 crew — 7 astronauts and cosmonauts from NASA (USA), ESA (Europe) and Roscosmos (Russia). The Crew section of the live tracker above lists every current crew member with their national space agency and the number of days they have been in space. Crew rotations happen approximately every 6 months via Soyuz capsules (Russia) and SpaceX Dragon (USA).
Can I see the ISS during the day?
No — the ISS is not visible during daylight hours. Although the station is in orbit 24 hours a day, the bright daytime sky completely overwhelms its reflected light. The station is only visible when your location is in darkness (after sunset or before sunrise) and the ISS is simultaneously illuminated by the Sun. The tracker filters these conditions automatically with the "Night & Dusk" toggle.
How many countries are involved in the ISS?
The ISS is a collaboration between 5 space agencies representing 15 countries: the United States (NASA), Russia (Roscosmos), the 22 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan (JAXA) and Canada (CSA). More than 100 nations have conducted research aboard the station, making it one of the most successful examples of international scientific cooperation in history.
How do I get notified before the ISS flies over?
Click "Activate pass notification" in the location panel after entering your city. Your browser will ask for permission to send push notifications. Once granted, you will receive an alert exactly 10 minutes before each ISS pass over your location — giving you enough time to go outside and look in the right direction. The sky arc compass on the pass card tells you exactly where to face.
What is the orbital period of the ISS?
The ISS completes one full orbit of Earth every 92.9 minutes (approximately 1 hour 33 minutes). This means it orbits roughly 15.5 times per day and covers a different ground track each orbit due to Earth's rotation. The "Orbit Period" stat in the live data panel shows the current orbital period. The orbital period changes very slightly over time as the station's altitude varies and periodic reboost manoeuvres are performed.
