Spot the Station
Spot the Station is NASA’s free mobile app for tracking International Space Station viewing opportunities.
What Spot the Station is
Spot the Station is NASA’s free mobile app for tracking International Space Station viewing opportunities. It provides real-time tracking, flyover schedules, sighting lists with visibility information, and alerts that can be configured up to 48 hours before a pass. The app includes 2D and 3D station views, an augmented-reality camera view, NASA resources, a blog, privacy settings, and push notifications. NASA says it is available worldwide, with information for most inhabited locations and multiple languages. Offline access is listed, and the app is available on iOS and Android. The iOS listing requires iOS 15.1 or later, or iPadOS 15.1 or later. NASA publishes current trajectory data in TXT and XML formats and says the mobile app’s open-source code can be reused. Reports may not include every visible pass north or south of 51.6 degrees latitude. The listed price is free.
Good
- Provides real-time station tracking
- Offers alerts up to 48 hours ahead
- Includes 2D, 3D, and AR views
- Available worldwide in multiple languages
- Supports offline access
Watch out
- Pass reports may be incomplete beyond 51.6 degrees latitude
- iOS requires version 15.1 or later
- Android may collect location and activity data
- iOS may collect location and diagnostics
Who it suits
It suits people who want alerts and viewing guidance for International Space Station passes from mobile devices. It also serves users interested in NASA resources and station-learning content.
Verdict
Spot the Station combines ISS pass forecasts, alerts, visual tools, and NASA learning resources in a free mobile app. Its geographic reporting limitation and platform requirements are the main details to check.
Plans and prices
From Spot the Station's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Spot the Station | Free | Free app; iOS and Android |
The facts
Each one read from Spot the Station's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- Android data safety
- Google Play says the app shares no data with third parties, may collect location, app activity, and app information and performance, encrypts data in transit, and does not allow data deletion.checked 9 Oct 2026
- iOS privacy disclosure
- Apple’s listing says location, user content, and diagnostics may be collected but are not linked to the user’s identity.checked 9 Oct 2026
- iOS support
- The iOS listing says the app requires iOS 15.1 or later on iPhone and iPod touch, or iPadOS 15.1 or later on iPad.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Platforms
- NASA’s page links to the App Store and Google Play for downloads.checked 9 Oct 2026
What it does
- Availability
- NASA says the app is available worldwide and provides viewing information for most inhabited locations in multiple languages.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Languages
- The iOS listing names English, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Ukrainian.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Mobile features
- The app listing describes 2D and 3D station views, sighting lists with visibility data, an augmented reality camera view, NASA resources and blog, privacy settings, and push notifications.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Notification timing
- NASA’s app-store response says users can configure advance sighting notifications up to 48 hours before a pass.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Open source
- NASA says the mobile app’s open-source code can be modified and used for other projects.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Public trajectory data
- NASA provides current station trajectory data in Orbit Ephemeris Message .txt and .xml formats, updated approximately three times a week.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The official NASA app helps users track International Space Station viewings at their location and receive notifications.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Tracking
- The app provides real-time tracking, flyover schedules, and alerts.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Viewing limitation
- NASA says the app may not properly report all visible passes for locations north or south of 51.6 degrees latitude.checked 9 Oct 2026
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