Detail

Like the new app, the Find Station service is designed to track the International Space Station’s current location on a map in real time. It will also answer some frequently asked questions.

The International Space Station is best seen in the early morning or evening hours, when the sun is not visible but its light is still hitting and reflecting off the ISS. The app determines when the station will shine brightest over your location at the optimal time, including the time the station appears in the sky, altitude, and direction of travel.

Even after 23 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station, it’s incredibly exciting to see the station when you look up at just the right moment. An orbiting laboratory that continues to provide many unique, tangible benefits to humanity isn’t actually that far away.
– says Robin Gatens, director of the International Space Station at NASA headquarters in Washington.

• The main page of the application includes a globe and a map showing the current position of the station relative to the Earth, as well as a countdown to the next possible meeting with the ISS.
• There is also a full-screen view of the tracker to track your location.
• You can also turn on notifications so you don’t miss any flights on the ground.

Spot the Station app interface / Photo from NASA

But the most interesting thing the new mobile app offers is that An augmented reality feature that will help you find the station by pointing your smartphone’s camera at the sky. While services like SkyView have long offered augmented reality features for exploring the night sky (including planets, stars, and constellations), NASA’s Spot the Station app is completely free and ad-free.

The new app also offers a resource page with a large collection of publications, such as news about the ISS and its crew, literature about the station, and various background information.