ISS Tracker

How this tracker works

This tool fetches the ISS's live coordinates from wheretheiss.at, a free public API that calculates the station's current position from publicly published orbital tracking data (the same type of data NORAD releases for tracking satellites). The page refreshes automatically every 5 seconds, and the red marker shows the station's ground track the point directly below the ISS on Earth's surface, sometimes called its sub-satellite point.

How fast and how high the ISS travels

The ISS orbits at roughly 250-260 miles (400-420 km) above Earth, moving at about 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h) fast enough to circle the entire planet in about 90 minutes. That means the six to seven astronauts typically aboard experience a sunrise or sunset roughly every 45 minutes, a detail many crew members describe as one of the most disorienting parts of adjusting to life in orbit.

Spotting the ISS from the ground

Despite orbiting hundreds of miles up, the ISS is easily visible to the naked eye it's the third-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus, appearing as a fast, steady, non-blinking point of light crossing from horizon to horizon in a few minutes. The best viewing window is shortly after sunset or before sunrise, when the ground is dark but the station is still high enough to catch direct sunlight. NASA's free "Spot The Station" service can text or email you exact visible pass times for your specific location.

FAQ

How high does the ISS orbit?
The station orbits at an altitude of roughly 250260 miles (400420 km) above Earth, in what's called low Earth orbit.

Can I see the ISS from where I live?
Yes the ISS is visible to the naked eye as a fast-moving bright point of light shortly after sunset or before sunrise, when it's lit by the sun but the sky is still dark. NASA's Spot The Station tool can tell you the exact times it will be visible from your location.

Where does the location data come from?
Position data comes from wheretheiss.at, a free public API that computes the station's real-time location from publicly available orbital tracking data. It's independent of NASA but draws on the same type of publicly released tracking information NASA itself uses.

Why does the position update every 5 seconds instead of continuously?
At orbital speed the ISS covers about 5 miles (8 km) every second, so a 5-second refresh already reflects meaningful movement without hammering the public tracking API with constant requests.

Who is currently on board the ISS?
This tool only tracks position, not crew NASA and its partner space agencies publish current crew rosters and mission details on their own sites, which change as crews rotate every few months.

Does the ISS ever change its orbit?
Yes the station periodically fires thrusters to raise its orbit, since atmospheric drag at that altitude very gradually pulls it lower, and it also performs occasional debris-avoidance maneuvers. Neither of those show up as sudden jumps on this tracker since they're small, gradual adjustments.