Search Help

The search view lets you search for a satellite by typing its name, or by choosing one from a list.

Search

A search field is at the top of the list. Enter all or the first part of a satellite's name. Then tap Search to display a list of matching objects. Tap a specific satellite from the list to bring up the Info view. This display more information about the satellite.

Please Note: Many satellite names are abbreviated. For example, the International Space Station is also named "ISS (ZARYA)"; Zarya is the Russian name for the first ISS module delivered to orbit. The Hubble Space Telescope is listed as HST.

Satellites currently above the horizon are listed in white. Satellites below the horizon are dimmed, but you can still select them. Below each satellite's name, a brief description shows the satellite's magnitude (brightness), whether it is eclipsed, and constellation in the sky where it appears.

After you select a specific satellite, it is the object shown in the Sky, Orbit, Satellite, and Ground views. You can center your satellite in those views with the Center button. Numerical data and mission descriptions for your satellite are shown in the Info view.

Satellite Lists

This section contains lists all satellites in Orbitrack's database, organized by category. Choose a list to display the satellites in that category. For example, the Brightest satellites list shows the 150 or so brightest satellites. The Newly Launched satellites list shows the last 30 days' launches, etc.

Orbitrack assigns categories to satellites based on the files from n2yo.com and celestrak.com that contain their orbital elements. A satellite can belong to more than one category. For example, a satellite can be both a Brightest satellite, and a Weather satellite.

Three satellite lists are worth a special mention: