Live ISS telemetry
The current position feed is requested through this site's /api/iss/current route, which proxies wheretheiss.at and falls back to a simpler ISS position source if needed.
Sources and credits
ISS Explorer Data Sources and Credits
Learn where ISS Explorer gets its live data, imagery, educational references, and what the limitations are.
Configured sources
Data used by this site
These are the sources currently configured in the codebase.
Where the ISS at?HTTPS live ISS position and TLE endpoint used by the tracker and pass calculator.NASA Image and Video LibrarySearchable NASA images, videos, and audio used for the media gallery.NASA Station FactsCore ISS facts such as size, orbit time, partner agencies, and occupation history.NASA LiveEmbedded NASA Live stream and external live programming link.
How updates work
NASA RSS provides station and research reports. NASA’s expedition page provides the roster and roles; People in Space adds profiles and arrival dates. Refreshes every 10 minutes while visible, with caching and independent source status. Saved data remains available for up to 24 hours during outages. Research reports retain their publication date.
The 90-minute preview uses SGP4 and ISS orbital elements (TLE). Elements older than seven days are rejected. Measured position is separate; altitude on the globe is exaggerated for clarity. Solar position and Earth shadow use an astronomical approximation. Night lights are historical imagery, not live images.
How to read the data
Limitations and behavior
Live educational tools are most useful when they explain what they can and cannot guarantee.
Update frequency
The browser polls live ISS telemetry about every 10 seconds while the page is open. Last updated means the time the latest accepted telemetry point was received.
Approximate values
Altitude, velocity, visibility, footprint, direction, and ground track are educational telemetry values and can be briefly stale if a request fails.
Pass predictions
Visible pass estimates use the wheretheiss.at TLE endpoint and in-browser SGP4 calculations. They are useful estimates, not official viewing alerts.
NASA imagery
Gallery images are loaded from NASA's Image and Video Library when available. Curated NASA gallery fallbacks remain visible if the API request fails.
Video limitations
The embedded NASA Live feed can pause, switch programming, or be offline during camera handovers, signal gaps, or agency schedule changes.
Privacy
Vercel Web Analytics measures visits and page views. Browser location is requested only when you use the location button in the pass finder; those coordinates are used locally for pass calculations.