International Space Station

About This Endpoint

This API endpoint will give you the next ten passes of the International Space Station for a given location, with the following constraints:

  • The sun is below the horizon.
  • The station is visible (not eclipsed by the earth's shadow) for any part of the pass.
  • The peak altitude (angle above the horizon) of the pass is above the cutoff angle, defaulting to 30°.

This API endpoint does not take into account weather conditions such as cloud cover, rain, fog, etc.

Using the Query Builder

ISS Query Builder

With the Query Builder, you can click, drag, and zoom a map to select your location and select the output format you wish to receive from the API URL. As you move the map, your URL to use will update automatically. Click the Copy button next to the URL to copy it to your clipboard, and paste it into your script to download the results. The generated URL will automatically include your account's API key.

  • Tip: To get to your desired location faster, click the locate control below the zoom buttons on the map to automatically select your browser's approximate location. You can then zoom and drag the map to get the marker to the location you want.

Do It Yourself

The /astro/iss endpoint accepts the following query parameters:

  • lat
    • (Required) Latitude of the location to search for ISS passes.
  • lon
    • (Required) Longitude of the location to search for ISS passes.
  • date
    • (Optional) Timestamp at which to start looking for passes; defaults to now. Must be a UNIX-style timestamp. Create a UNIX timestamp at this web site.
  • num
    • (Optional) Number of passes to retrieve. Defaults to 10.
  • altitude
    • (Optional) Disregard passes that do not peak above this angle in degrees above the horizon. Defaults to 30.
  • format
    • (Optional) Receive results in this format. Defaults to json. WSI Max users will need to use csv.
  • apikey
    • (Required) Your account's API key.