There’s something magical about watching the International Space Station glide silently across the night sky. For many of us, those passes are a reminder of humanity’s constant presence in orbit and our curiosity to explore beyond Earth. Until now, keeping track of when and where to look has often required a patchwork of websites and apps. That’s where Space Station Passes, a free iOS app developed by Sihao Lu, comes in.
The first thing you’ll notice is its simplicity: no ads, no subscriptions, no hidden fees. Just a clean, straightforward tool built to do one thing well—help you know when and where to look for satellites. And it’s not just the ISS. Space Station Passes includes predictions for China’s Tiangong space station and over 4,000 other satellites, making it one of the broadest free resources available to skywatchers.
Once you install the app and allow location access, you’re greeted with a list of upcoming visible passes for your area. Each entry includes details like the satellite’s brightness, direction of travel, and duration of visibility. What makes this especially approachable is the interactive sky chart, which shows the satellite’s exact path across the constellations. Instead of translating altitude and azimuth numbers, you simply see a trail through the stars—making it easy for beginners and seasoned observers alike to know where to look.
For those of us who prefer to plan ahead, the app allows you to set custom notifications. You can get an alert minutes before a satellite becomes visible, so you’ll never miss a chance to step outside and catch the flyover. If you’re already out under the stars, the night mode option dims the display into a red-tinted interface that preserves your dark adaptation. And for the more adventurous, there’s an experimental realtime sky feature that overlays satellites currently above your horizon, offering a live view of what’s happening overhead.
Another nice touch is that Space Station Passes runs on Apple’s broader ecosystem—supporting not just iPhone and iPad, but also Apple Silicon Macs and even visionOS devices. That means whether you’re sitting at your desk, holding your phone in the backyard, or strapping on a headset, you’ll have access to the same smooth interface and satellite tracking tools.
What stands out most about Space Station Passes is how accessible it makes satellite watching. By combining accurate predictions with intuitive visuals and timely reminders, it lowers the barrier for anyone who wants to share the wonder of spotting the ISS or Tiangong overhead. And because it’s entirely free, it’s an easy addition to every stargazer’s toolkit.
If you’ve ever wanted a simple way to know when to look up, Space Station Passes is well worth downloading. It’s a polished, thoughtful app that puts the excitement of satellite tracking into everyone’s hands—no ads, no distractions, just the sky.
