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NASA discontinued Spot the Station website viewing opportunities and text and email notifications beginning June 12, 2025. To get ISS flyover schedules and alerts, use NASA’s Spot the Station app. The change did not mean that every Spot the Station web feature ended: NASA’s pages continue to offer a live tracking map and sighting information.
How can I track the ISS now?
Install NASA’s official Spot the Station app on an iPhone or Android device, select your preferred location, and enable device notifications. NASA says the app offers real-time tracking, flyover schedules, and push alerts for upcoming passes. Its alerts can include the pass date, local time, duration, and visibility conditions, with location and timing settings you can personalize. NASA describes the service as covering most inhabited locations worldwide and offering multiple languages.
Is Spot the Station shutting down?
NASA’s notice says website viewing opportunities and text and email notifications were discontinued beginning June 12, 2025. It directs users to the mobile app for viewing opportunities and device notifications. That announcement is about those website-based listings and alerts, not a statement that the entire Spot the Station website disappeared. NASA’s web pages continue to provide a live tracking map and sighting information; availability may change over time.
Can I still track the ISS in a browser?
Yes. If you do not want app notifications, visit NASA’s Spot the Station website for its live map and sighting information. Use the app if you want scheduled pass alerts; use the web pages when you want to check the station’s position or look up sighting details in a browser.
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How to read an ISS pass alert
A pass listing helps you decide whether and when to look up. Compare these details when choosing among upcoming opportunities:
- Local start time: When the station first becomes visible from your location, in local time.
- Duration: How long the pass is expected to remain visible.
- Maximum elevation: The highest point of the pass above the horizon. A higher pass is generally easier to follow across more of the sky.
- Appear and disappear directions: The compass directions where the ISS first comes into view and where it fades from sight.
NASA’s example alert explains these fields; it is not a current prediction. Check the app or NASA’s current sighting page for dates and times at your selected location.
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Why some passes are hard to see
The ISS is visible because it reflects sunlight. The best opportunities are generally near sunrise or sunset: the sky is dark enough to see the station while it is still illuminated by the Sun. A pass can occur overhead without being visible, such as during daylight or when conditions are otherwise unsuitable. For ordinary viewing, you do not need a telescope or binoculars; NASA says the station can be seen with the naked eye.
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