Live ISS Tracker
See the International Space Station's real-time location on a world map.
Track the International Space Station live on a world map — its real-time latitude/longitude, altitude, orbital speed, and whether it's currently sunlit or in Earth's shadow, refreshed every few seconds. See exactly how many astronauts are aboard right now, and get next-visible-pass predictions (rise/peak/set time, direction, duration) for any city or your real GPS location. Free, key-less, no signup.
About Live ISS Tracker
- Real-time position on a zoomable, pannable world map, updated every ~5 seconds
- A live day/night terminator showing exactly which half of Earth is dark
- Live altitude, orbital speed, and sunlit vs. eclipsed status
- Names of every astronaut currently aboard the ISS
- Next visible-pass predictions for any city, or your real GPS location
- NASA's official live Earth-viewing camera feed from the station
- A fading ground-track trail showing its recent flight path
- A dashed projected path showing roughly where it's heading next
- 100% free, key-less, and ad-free — no signup required
Live ISS Tracker features
- Real-time ISS position on a zoomable, pannable world map, updated every ~5 seconds
- A live day/night terminator showing which half of Earth is dark
- Live altitude, orbital speed, and sunlit vs. eclipsed status
- Names of every astronaut currently aboard the ISS
- Next visible-pass predictions for any city or your real GPS location
- NASA's official live Earth-viewing camera feed from the station
- A fading ground-track trail of its recent flight path
- Free, key-less, and ad-free — no signup required
How to use Live ISS Tracker
Watch the live map
The satellite marker updates every few seconds as the ISS circles Earth once roughly every 93 minutes.
Check the stats
Read off live altitude, speed, and whether the station is currently sunlit or passing through Earth's shadow.
Pick your city
Search for a city, or tap "Use my location" to read your real browser GPS position — nothing is stored.
See when it's visible
Passes flagged "Naked-eye visible" happen at dawn or dusk, when the ISS is sunlit but your sky is dark.
Popular use cases
Plan tonight's flyover
Catch the ISS crossing the sky with your own eyes
Astrophotography timing
Line up a long-exposure shot of the ISS streak
Show the kids
A live, moving dot makes orbital speed click instantly
Ham radio pass windows
Rise/set azimuth and elevation for antenna aiming
Space-fan curiosity
See who's in orbit and how fast they're moving right now
Classroom demo
A live, shareable visual for orbital mechanics lessons
Frequently asked questions
Where is the International Space Station right now?
The map above shows the ISS's real-time latitude and longitude, refreshed every few seconds from live satellite-tracking data. It orbits Earth roughly every 90–93 minutes at about 408 km altitude, so its ground track sweeps across almost the entire globe within a few hours.
How fast does the ISS travel?
About 27,600 km/h (7.66 km/s) — fast enough to circle the Earth roughly 15.5 times every day, or once every 90–93 minutes. At that speed it crosses the continental United States in well under 10 minutes.
How do I know when the ISS will be visible from my location?
Use the city picker (or "Use my location" for your real GPS position) to see upcoming passes. A pass is flagged "Naked-eye visible" when it happens during twilight — the ISS is high enough to still be sunlit while your sky has already gone dark, making it visible as a fast, steady, non-blinking point of light (no telescope needed).
Why does it only appear as a bright dot, not blink like an aircraft?
The ISS has no flashing strobe lights — you're seeing sunlight reflecting off its solar panels and hull, the same way the Moon reflects sunlight. That's also why it's only visible during twilight passes: any time the sky is fully dark, the ISS itself has usually already passed into Earth's shadow too.
How many astronauts are on the ISS right now?
The astronaut card above lists everyone currently aboard by name, pulled from a live public roster. Crew size typically ranges from about 3 to 11, spiking briefly during handover periods when an outgoing and incoming crew overlap.
How accurate are the pass predictions?
Pass times are computed from the ISS's current orbital elements (TLE data), which are refreshed regularly and accurate to within a minute or two for the next several days — though the ISS occasionally performs small reboosts that shift future passes slightly, so it's worth rechecking close to the time.
Does this cost anything or need an account?
No. The Live ISS Tracker is completely free, with no sign-up, no API key, and no usage limit — it runs on public, key-less satellite-tracking data sources.
What's the fading trail behind the ISS marker?
It's the station's recent ground track — its last few minutes of positions, drawn with fading opacity so the newest point stands out. Over a full orbit this trail traces the ISS's signature sine-wave path, a result of its 51.6° orbital inclination relative to the equator.
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