About Orbital Traffic

How much does it cost?

It is free. There are no ads, no subscriptions and no account to create.

What does it run on?

There is an iPhone and iPad app on the App Store, and the same tracker runs in any modern web browser at orbitaltraffic.app. There is no Android app; on an Android phone it runs in the browser and can be added to the home screen.

What can you do with it?

See every tracked object move on the globe in real time. Tap one to read what it is, who operates it, how high it flies and how fast. Find the International Space Station and China's Tiangong station, with the crew aboard and the capsules docked to them. See which satellites are above your location right now. Get the times the space station or a freshly launched Starlink train will be visible from where you are. Read what launched, docked, landed or re-entered in the last two days.

What are pass alerts?

In the iPhone app, a notification shortly before a good visible pass of the space station or a fresh Starlink train over your location. They are worked out on the phone; there is no server sending them.

Where does the data come from?

Orbits come from CelesTrak's public catalog of orbital elements, refreshed through the day. Asteroid orbits come from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Space station crews and rocket launches come from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs.

How are positions worked out?

On your own device. The app takes each object's published orbital elements and calculates where it is now with SGP4, the standard model for those elements. Altitudes are drawn to scale; the dots marking each object are not.

What happens to your location?

It is used on your device to work out what is above you and when something will pass over. It is not sent to Orbital Traffic's servers or anyone else's, and you can clear it in Settings. The privacy policy has the full detail.

Does it work offline?

Yes. After the first load it works without a connection, and the catalog refreshes the next time you are online.

What are the object pages?

2,811 satellites and spacecraft have a written profile, each with its own page showing what it is, its orbit and where it is now. The Hubble Space Telescope, the space station, weather satellites, navigation satellites and spy satellites are among them.

What should it not be used for?

Positions are calculated from public data for information only. They are not for navigation, collision avoidance or any safety-critical purpose.

How do you get in touch?

Email orbitaltraffic@outlook.com.