Star & Planet FinderGet the app

Satellites›Space stations

The space stations in orbit today

Two crewed space stations are circling the Earth: the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong. Both are bright enough to see without a telescope, and each has a live map on its page.

International Space Station

The largest thing people have built in space: about 109 metres from end to end and some 420 tonnes, put together in orbit over more than a decade. Its first module, Zarya, went up in November 1998, and it has had a crew aboard without a break since November 2000. The United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada run it together. Its solar arrays are why it is the brightest satellite in the sky.

414 to 424 km up, one lap every 92.9 minutes, magnitude −3.7 at its brightest.

Where it is now

Tiangong space station

China’s space station. Its core module, Tianhe, was launched in April 2021, and two laboratory modules, Wentian and Mengtian, joined it in 2022 to form a T. Three astronauts live aboard, six for a few days when crews change over. After the International Space Station it is the brightest satellite in the sky.

380 to 385 km up, one lap every 92.2 minutes, magnitude −3.0 at its brightest.

Where it is now

Flying with them today

Modules and visiting spacecraft that the catalogue lists on their own and that share a station’s orbit to the minute: in practice, what is docked to it.

SpacecraftWithLaunchedFrom
PROGRESS-MS 34International Space StationApr 25, 2026Russia (and the former Soviet Union)
ISS (NAUKA)International Space StationJul 21, 2021Russia (and the former Soviet Union)
POISKInternational Space StationNov 10, 2009The International Space Station partners
SHENZHOU-23 (SZ-23)Tiangong space stationMay 24, 2026China
TIANZHOU-10Tiangong space stationMay 11, 2026China
CSS (MENGTIAN)Tiangong space stationOct 31, 2022China
CSS (WENTIAN)Tiangong space stationJul 24, 2022China
The app’s camera view over a city at night, locked on the Hubble Space Telescope

With the app

Knowing where it is over the Earth is one thing. The app shows you where it is in your sky.

This page follows the satellite around the planet. The app works out when it passes over you, and leads you to it.

  • Every pass over your exact location, for this satellite and 10,000+ more.
  • An alert before it rises, so you are outside in time.
  • An arrow in the camera view that leads you to the exact spot in the sky.
  • Starlink trains, Tiangong, Hubble and the brightest satellites of tonight.
Download on the App Store

Other satellites

154

Brightest satellites

The satellites and spent rocket stages you can see without a telescope.

11,192

Starlink

How many are up, where they fly, and what went up this month.

73

Weather satellites

The satellites behind the forecast, in low orbit and over the equator.

546

Geostationary satellites

The ring of satellites that hang over one spot, in order around the Earth.

95

Amateur radio satellites

The satellites radio amateurs talk through.

80

Iridium

The satellite phone network that once made the famous flares.

654

OneWeb

The other internet constellation, in a much higher orbit.

206

New in orbit

Everything launched in the last thirty days.

From CelesTrak’s orbit data and satellite catalogue, which lists launches up to November 11, 2026. Page updated November 14, 2026.