How to track satellites
Thousands of satellites are overhead right now, and you can follow any of them from a browser. Here is how satellite tracking actually works.
Satellite tracking sounds like it needs a dish on the roof. It does not. The positions of tens of thousands of objects are published openly, and anyone can turn that data into a live map of what is overhead.
Where the data comes from
Ground radar and optical sensors, run by the US Space Force, measure the positions of objects in orbit. Those measurements are fit to orbits and published as TLEs on Space-Track and CelesTrak. A TLE is a snapshot of an orbit; for the precise position lists operators use, see what is an ephemeris.
From data to a live position
A TLE is run through a model called SGP4 to compute where an object is at any moment. A tracker does this continuously for every object so the map stays current. Vantafort runs SGP4 on the GPU, which is how it propagates the whole public catalog at once, in the browser, with no install. The technical detail is in SGP4/SDP4 on WebGPU.
Track something specific
- Track the ISS, the brightest and easiest target.
- Track Starlink, the largest constellation ever flown.
- Find any satellite by its NORAD ID.
Ready to try it? Open the Vantafort platform and pick an object to follow.
Frequently asked questions
- How are satellites tracked?
- Ground radar and optical sensors measure their positions. Those measurements are fit to orbits and published as TLEs, which anyone can propagate with SGP4 to predict where an object is.
- Do I need special software to track satellites?
- No. A browser-based tracker propagates the public catalog for you, with no install. Vantafort does this on the GPU for tens of thousands of objects at once.
- Can I track any satellite?
- You can track anything in the public catalog, which covers most non-classified payloads, rocket bodies, and debris.