Track The Sky — Real-Time 3D Satellite Tracker
Track over 9,000 satellites in real time on an interactive 3D globe. Monitor space stations, Starlink, GPS, weather satellites, and more with live orbital data updated every two hours from CelesTrak.
Satellite Categories
- Space Stations — ISS, CSS, and related objects (approximately 30 satellites)
- Starlink — SpaceX Starlink constellation (approximately 11,000 satellites)
- OneWeb — OneWeb broadband constellation (approximately 600 satellites)
- GPS — US GPS operational satellites (approximately 31 satellites)
- Galileo — European navigation satellites (approximately 28 satellites)
- GLONASS — Russian navigation satellites (approximately 24 satellites)
- BeiDou — Chinese navigation satellites (approximately 50 satellites)
- Weather — Polar-orbiting weather satellites (NOAA, JPSS, MetOp) (approximately 50 satellites)
- Earth Resources — Earth observation and remote sensing (Landsat, Sentinel) (approximately 150 satellites)
- Amateur Radio — Ham radio satellites (approximately 100 satellites)
- Iridium NEXT — Iridium communications constellation (approximately 75 satellites)
- Science — Scientific research satellites (approximately 50 satellites)
- Military — Publicly catalogued defense satellites (approximately 20 satellites)
- Cosmos 2251 Debris — Fragments from the 2009 Iridium-Cosmos collision (approximately 550 satellites)
- Fengyun-1C Debris — Fragments from China's 2007 ASAT test (approximately 1,900 satellites)
- Iridium 33 Debris — Fragments from the 2009 Iridium-Cosmos collision (approximately 100 satellites)
- Geostationary — Geostationary orbit satellites (approximately 500 satellites)
- All Active — All active satellites tracked by CelesTrak (approximately 15,000 satellites)
Browse by Category
- Space Station Tracker — Track the International Space Station (ISS), China's Tiangong, and other crewed spacecraft in real time on a 3D globe with live orbital data.
- Starlink Satellite Tracker — Track SpaceX Starlink satellites in real time.
- GPS Satellite Tracker — Track US GPS satellites in real time on a 3D globe.
- Weather Satellite Tracker — Track NOAA, JPSS, MetOp, and other polar-orbiting weather satellites in real time.
- Science Satellite Tracker — Track Hubble, JWST, Terra, Aqua, and other science satellites in real time.
- Military Satellite Tracker — Track the defense satellites in CelesTrak's military group in real time: radar-reconnaissance, space-surveillance, and tracking-layer spacecraft on a 3D globe.
- Space Debris Tracker — Track orbital debris and defunct satellites in real time.
- Communication Satellite Tracker — Track Iridium, Intelsat, SES, and other communication satellites in real time.
- Navigation Satellite Tracker — Track GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou navigation satellites in real time.
- Earth Observation Satellite Tracker — Track Landsat, Sentinel, and other Earth observation satellites in real time.
Features
- Real-time satellite propagation using SGP4/SDP4 orbital mechanics
- Interactive 3D CesiumJS globe with Natural Earth textures
- Click any satellite to see its orbit path, ground track, altitude, and velocity
- Overhead pass predictions for your location
- Conjunction (close approach) alerts between tracked satellites
- Day/night solar illumination — see which satellites are sunlit or in shadow
- Search by satellite name or NORAD catalog number
- Time controls — pause, fast-forward at 10x, 60x, or 600x speed
- Camera follow mode to track a satellite across the globe
- Cinematic mode with bloom effects for screenshots and presentations
- Satellite footprint visualization showing ground coverage area
- Sky View polar plot showing satellites overhead your location with azimuth and elevation
- ISS Live View with real-time altitude, speed, sunlit status, and a link to the current crew roster at NASA
- Observer location support with geolocation, manual coordinates, and preset cities
- Browser notifications for satellite pass alerts with 5-minute advance warning, while a Track The Sky tab is open
- Starlink train detector identifying recently launched satellites still in orbit-raising phase
- Historical space events timeline with 15 curated milestones from 1998 to 2024
- Orbit comparison tool to compare up to 6 satellites side by side
- Discovery panel with Famous, Records, Recent, and Decaying satellite browsing tabs
- Search spotlight with recent searches, keyboard navigation, and random satellite picker
- Reentry tracker listing objects with a perigee below 500 km and their estimated time to atmospheric re-entry
- Shareable satellite snapshot cards with downloadable branded PNG images
- Timelapse recorder capturing the CesiumJS globe as a downloadable WebM video
- Launch calendar with upcoming rocket launches, countdowns, and mission details
- Ground station network map showing 19 major tracking facilities worldwide
- Space debris and fragmentation event tracker with known collision and ASAT test data
- Naked eye visibility mode estimating visual magnitude for satellites overhead
Satellite Tracking Guides
Learn more about satellites, orbital mechanics, and what you can see in the night sky with our satellite tracking guides:
Data Source
Orbital elements (TLE/OMM data) are sourced from CelesTrak, maintained by Dr. T.S. Kelso, using NORAD two-line element sets. Data is refreshed every two hours via a server-side proxy to provide the most current orbital predictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I track the International Space Station (ISS) in real time?
Track The Sky displays the ISS position on an interactive 3D globe, updated every second using orbital data from CelesTrak and NORAD. Click on the ISS to view its current altitude, speed, sunlit status, and predicted next pass times for your location.
What satellites can I see with the naked eye tonight?
Set your observer location and open Naked Eye Satellites. Track The Sky lists satellites above your horizon that are sunlit while the Sun is at least 6° below your horizon, ranked by estimated brightness.
How many Starlink satellites are in orbit?
Track The Sky tracks all active Starlink satellites in the public NORAD catalog, numbering in the thousands, more than any other constellation, and growing with each SpaceX launch. The dedicated Starlink Train Detector feature identifies recently launched batches that are still visible as a bright chain of lights in the night sky.
How do I find out when the ISS will pass over my location?
Use the Observer Location feature to set your position via geolocation, manual coordinates, or a preset city list. Track The Sky then calculates upcoming pass times, maximum elevation, and approach direction for the ISS or any other satellite you select.
What is satellite orbital tracking?
Satellites follow elliptical paths around Earth governed by orbital mechanics, and their positions are predicted using TLE or OMM data sets published by NORAD. Track The Sky uses the satellite.js library to run SGP4 propagation, converting those element sets into precise latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates in real time.
How accurate is real-time satellite tracking?
Tracking data comes from CelesTrak, which distributes official NORAD orbital element sets updated multiple times per day. Track The Sky refreshes this data every two hours and uses SGP4 propagation, which is accurate to within a few kilometers for low-Earth-orbit satellites over short prediction windows.
Can I track military or spy satellites?
Track The Sky displays every satellite listed in the public NORAD catalog, which includes many military satellites such as GPS, SBIRS, and some reconnaissance platforms. However, classified satellites that are not published in the public catalog cannot be tracked by any civilian tool.
What is the Starlink train and how can I see it?
After each SpaceX launch, newly deployed Starlink satellites fly in a closely spaced formation known as a "Starlink train" before gradually spreading into their operational orbits. Track The Sky's Starlink Train Detector identifies these recently launched batches and shows when the train is visible from your location.
How do I share a satellite's location with someone?
Click on any satellite to select it, then copy the URL from your browser address bar — it automatically includes the satellite's NORAD ID (for example, trackthesky.com/satellite/25544 for the ISS). Anyone who opens that link will see the same satellite highlighted on the 3D globe.
Is Track The Sky free to use?
Yes, Track The Sky is completely free with no account or sign-up required. All orbital data is sourced from CelesTrak's open data feeds, so you can track satellites, predict passes, and explore space without any cost.