Spot the Station

Name: Spot the Station
Rating: 4.8 (6141 reviews)
Author: NASA

See The Space Station Overhead

Free

6.1K Ratings
Ages

4+
Years
Category

Education
Developer

NASA
Language

EN
+ 13 More
Size

91.2
MB

For anyone who has ever gazed up at the night sky and wondered about the mysteries of the universe, witnessing the International Space Station pass overhead can be an awe-inspiring moment. The Spot the Station mobile app is designed to notify users when the space station is visible overhead from their location. It aims to broaden access and awareness of the station and NASA globally, by providing users with an opportunity to experience the wonder of the space station firsthand. The realization that there are human beings living and working in that tiny dot, orbiting the Earth at a mind-boggling speed of 17,500 miles per hour, is breathtaking. The app includes several helpful features including: 1. 2D & 3D real-time location views of the station 2. Upcoming Sighting Lists with visibility data 3. Augmented Reality (AR) view with compass and trajectory lines embedded into the camera view 4. Up-to-date NASA space station Resources & Blog 5. Privacy Settings 6. Push Notifications when the station is approaching your location.

Ratings & Reviews

4.8

out of 5

6.1K Ratings

Fabulous
Aug 23

Gran of 2 boys, 2 girls
I’ve been watching the space station for several years. When I two sons and their families were visiting years ago, possibly in 2008, I mentioned that the station was coming over later and my oldest son was really skeptical. However, when I went out on the deck, they all came out and marveled at the fact that you could actually cross the sky. It never fails to thrill me just to see them, and know they are so far above the Earth.I will watch them until my dying day.

Developer Response
Thank you for sharing your positive experience with spotting the station through the app! We're delighted to have played a part in your journey to explore the wonders of space. Please invite your friends and family to install and use this free app so that they can also enjoy it.
Fabulous
Aug 23

Gran of 2 boys, 2 girls

I’ve been watching the space station for several years. When I two sons and their families were visiting years ago, possibly in 2008, I mentioned that the station was coming over later and my oldest son was really skeptical. However, when I went out on the deck, they all came out and marveled at the fact that you could actually cross the sky. It never fails to thrill me just to see them, and know they are so far above the Earth.I will watch them until my dying day.
Developer Response Oct 22
Thank you for sharing your positive experience with spotting the station through the app! We're delighted to have played a part in your journey to explore the wonders of space. Please invite your friends and family to install and use this free app so that they can also enjoy it.
Dumbest idea ever to force an app on people
Aug 12

Zildjiancat
The text/email notifications were 24 hrs in advance, allowing everyone plenty of time to set aside the few minutes they’d get to see the astronauts zipping by overhead right in front of them. Now the cumbersome app has taken place, and it’s not so great. Doesn’t provide advance notice for when the ISS will be in a person’s neighborhood, right overhead. That is truly special, being able to run outside, look up, and see them. Especially for those of us who waited all day to watch Armstrong and Aldrin actually walk on the moon right in our own living rooms. This is the modern version of that, sharing the astronaut experience from our own homes. And now, that has been taken away. Please consider keeping both available. The app has some good stuff, but it’s nothing like being notified by NASA and being able to plan time to see them fly right over your back yard. It’s especially fun for kids, and why wouldn’t NASA want to get kids interested in space exploration, too??? Please consider bringing back the text/email option you tossed last May. Apparently the app can only see what’s right in front of it at any given second, rendering any planning by mere mortals to witness the real thing flying overhead. So sad.

Developer Response
Thank you for your suggestion. The Notification Settings in the app do provide the option to set a first notification (default: 15 minutes) for up to 48 hours before each sighting.We are committed to continuous improvement and embrace the opportunity to evolve our app in ways that resonate with our users. Stay tuned for updates on our progress, and once again, thank you for your constructive and forward-thinking contribution.For direct support or to provide more insights, feel free to reach out to SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov.
Dumbest idea ever to force an app on people
Aug 12

Zildjiancat

The text/email notifications were 24 hrs in advance, allowing everyone plenty of time to set aside the few minutes they’d get to see the astronauts zipping by overhead right in front of them. Now the cumbersome app has taken place, and it’s not so great. Doesn’t provide advance notice for when the ISS will be in a person’s neighborhood, right overhead. That is truly special, being able to run outside, look up, and see them. Especially for those of us who waited all day to watch Armstrong and Aldrin actually walk on the moon right in our own living rooms. This is the modern version of that, sharing the astronaut experience from our own homes. And now, that has been taken away. Please consider keeping both available. The app has some good stuff, but it’s nothing like being notified by NASA and being able to plan time to see them fly right over your back yard. It’s especially fun for kids, and why wouldn’t NASA want to get kids interested in space exploration, too??? Please consider bringing back the text/email option you tossed last May. Apparently the app can only see what’s right in front of it at any given second, rendering any planning by mere mortals to witness the real thing flying overhead. So sad.
Developer Response Oct 22
Thank you for your suggestion. The Notification Settings in the app do provide the option to set a first notification (default: 15 minutes) for up to 48 hours before each sighting.We are committed to continuous improvement and embrace the opportunity to evolve our app in ways that resonate with our users. Stay tuned for updates on our progress, and once again, thank you for your constructive and forward-thinking contribution.For direct support or to provide more insights, feel free to reach out to SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov.
Fixed: Won't detect location
11/15/2023

Rogue Symmetry
I was very excited to find out this app exists. I immediately downloaded it. The first thing it asks was to allow notifications, which I said yes too. But the very next screen asks me to either enter my location or let the app detect my location. I've tried both options and neither one ever goes anywhere. It's just stuck on that screen and I can't do anything else with the app. This app is totally worthless in it's current state. 11/14 UPDATE: Giving three stars now since the developers addressed this issue and my review. I haven't had time to play with it but the issue I was having above has been solved. I will update my review as I get time with the app. Thanks, devs!

Developer Response
We appreciate your input regarding the location search/detection functionality issue. We are pleased to inform you that an updated version was released to the App Store this week (v1.2.1 on Nov 13 2023), which has resolved this issue. Please install the updated version and test the app again. As the app grew, we encountered some bugs. We sincerely appreciate your understanding as we improve the user experience. We believe these enhancements will provide a smoother experience. Thank you for sticking with us as the app improves. We understand the frustration that bugs can cause and are committed to fixing them quickly. Your patience and feedback are invaluable during this phase. We are working hard to enhance the user experience and would be delighted if you could try the updated version and let us know your thoughts with an updated review and rating.
Fixed: Won't detect location
11/15/2023

Rogue Symmetry

I was very excited to find out this app exists. I immediately downloaded it. The first thing it asks was to allow notifications, which I said yes too. But the very next screen asks me to either enter my location or let the app detect my location. I've tried both options and neither one ever goes anywhere. It's just stuck on that screen and I can't do anything else with the app. This app is totally worthless in it's current state. 11/14 UPDATE: Giving three stars now since the developers addressed this issue and my review. I haven't had time to play with it but the issue I was having above has been solved. I will update my review as I get time with the app. Thanks, devs!
Developer Response 11/14/2023
We appreciate your input regarding the location search/detection functionality issue. We are pleased to inform you that an updated version was released to the App Store this week (v1.2.1 on Nov 13 2023), which has resolved this issue. Please install the updated version and test the app again. As the app grew, we encountered some bugs. We sincerely appreciate your understanding as we improve the user experience. We believe these enhancements will provide a smoother experience. Thank you for sticking with us as the app improves. We understand the frustration that bugs can cause and are committed to fixing them quickly. Your patience and feedback are invaluable during this phase. We are working hard to enhance the user experience and would be delighted if you could try the updated version and let us know your thoughts with an updated review and rating.
Simple utility that does the job well
11/24/2023

Sktaka22381
What’s not to love? Made by nasa for spotting the ISS. Also had AR, which is awesome and good customization for notifications. I use other sat tracking apps too, but am glad to add this to the list and will rely on it for ISS. My interest is primarily for AMSAT (amateur radio satellite communications) and love to make contact via satellites. Would be super cool to actually talk to an astronaut aboard; maybe one day. Also enjoy the ISS events such as SSTV, which you don’t even need to be licensed to receive.It does one job, and does it well. Thanks NASA!

Developer Response
Thank you so much for sharing your great experience with our app! Please invite your friends and family to install and use this free app so that they can also enjoy it. We're constantly looking to improve, so feel free to share any additional thoughts or suggestions you might have.
Simple utility that does the job well
11/24/2023

Sktaka22381

What’s not to love? Made by nasa for spotting the ISS. Also had AR, which is awesome and good customization for notifications. I use other sat tracking apps too, but am glad to add this to the list and will rely on it for ISS. My interest is primarily for AMSAT (amateur radio satellite communications) and love to make contact via satellites. Would be super cool to actually talk to an astronaut aboard; maybe one day. Also enjoy the ISS events such as SSTV, which you don’t even need to be licensed to receive.It does one job, and does it well. Thanks NASA!
Developer Response 04/24/2024
Thank you so much for sharing your great experience with our app! Please invite your friends and family to install and use this free app so that they can also enjoy it. We're constantly looking to improve, so feel free to share any additional thoughts or suggestions you might have.

- Reorganized the information screens on top of the Home page to improve visibility of the button to open sightings list. - Replaced "today" and "tomorrow" phrases with actual dates in notifications and sightings list to avoid confusion. - Optimized the dynamic sizing of the 3D globe view on Home and Tracker pages to improve the globe fit to the screen size in portrait and landscape modes. - Enabled pinch-to-zoom functionality on the 3D view of the Tracker and Home pages. - Rearranged UI elements inside the iPhone dynamic island for better visibility of the information in the live activity box. - Resolved a rare bug that caused the 3D globe on Home page to disappear for a long time after switching between locations. - Other bug fixes and third-party software maintenance updates.