Satellite tracking is a crucial activity that enables individuals, organizations, and governments to monitor the movement of satellites orbiting the Earth. This process involves tracking the location, speed, and trajectory of the satellites, which is vital for various purposes, such as scientific research, weather monitoring, navigation, and communication. With the increasing demand for satellite tracking, many android apps have been developed to aid users in tracking satellites. These apps offer various features that make satellite tracking more accessible and efficient.
One of the primary benefits of using an android app for satellite tracking is the convenience it provides. Users can access the app from their smartphones or tablets, making it possible to track satellites from anywhere at any time. Additionally, these apps are easy to use and require no technical expertise, which makes them suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
Another advantage of android satellite tracking apps is the comprehensive data they provide.
We have compiled a list of 7 Best Android Satellite Tracking App for your consideration, which have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by our team of experts.
Table of Contents
7 Best Android Satellite Tracking App
1. Star Walk – Night Sky Map and Stargazing Guide
Star Walk – Night Sky Guide: Planets and Stars Map is a mobile app designed for astronomy enthusiasts, offering a real-time map of the night sky for stargazing, planet and star identification, and astronomical education. The app is suitable for users of all ages and can be used by teachers, students, parents, and anyone interested in the universe and the sky above.
The app provides an interactive sky guide that presents constellations and stars in real time, offering general information, a gallery, Wikipedia articles, and astronomy facts about celestial bodies. The constellation star finder helps users identify stars and planets by calculating their device’s orientation and GPS location.
The Time Machine feature allows users to explore the sky map of different periods, while Night mode provides a red glow to make sky observation more comfortable for the eyes. The app also allows users to change the display color to represent various kinds of radiation, and provides daily stats such as sunrise and sunset times, visible planets, and moon phases.
Star Walk’s mobile observatory offers an augmented reality stargazing experience, merging live footage from the user’s camera with the app’s presentation of the night sky. The app comes with a subscription option, Star Walk Plus, which removes ads and provides access to deep space objects, meteor showers, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, and satellites.
Overall, Star Walk is a useful tool for astronomy enthusiasts looking to explore the stars and the universe right from their mobile device.
2. SkySafari 6 Pro
SkySafari 6 Pro is an astronomy app that offers the largest database of any astronomy app, including every solar system object ever discovered. It provides unparalleled accuracy, telescope control, and viewing experience under the stars. The app has been recommended for serious amateur astronomers since 2009.
The new version 6 includes features such as cloud storage for observing data, updated star and galaxy catalogs, sessions that collect observations spanning a few hours or nights, a graph tool showing an object’s altitude above the horizon, a planner to create a list of targets for observing sessions, and a tilt to slew optional mode for telescope control. The app also has a system to organize and share observing experiences through a free web portal and affordable premium memberships.
Users can find stars, constellations, planets, and more by holding their device up, and the star chart updates automatically with movements. The app can simulate the night sky up to 10,000 years in the past or future, control telescopes, offer night vision, and provide a Galaxy View that shows the position of deep sky objects in our Milky Way.
3. ISS Detector Satellite Tracker
The International Space Station (ISS) is visible to the naked eye and can be easily spotted with the right tools. ISS Detector is a helpful app that notifies users when and where to look for the ISS, providing an alarm a few minutes before a pass. The app also checks weather conditions to ensure optimal visibility, as a clear sky is ideal for spotting the ISS.
To enhance the functionality of ISS Detector, users can purchase extensions within the app. These extensions include Radio Amateur Satellites, which allows for tracking of dozens of ham and weather satellites, and provides transmitter information and real-time Doppler frequencies. Starlink and Famous Objects extension allows for tracking of SpaceX Starlink satellite trains, Hubble Space Telescope, rocket bodies, and more bright satellites. Lastly, Comets and Planets extension enables users to track all planets, as well as track comets as they come closer to earth and become bright enough to see.
4. Satellite Tracker by Star Walk
The Satellite Tracker by Star Walk app enables users to locate and track satellites across the sky from any location. The app provides information on the International Space Station (ISS) and other man-made satellites and can predict pass timings. It includes features such as live satellite viewing, a flyby timer, fly-with-satellite view, and satellite orbit over the Earth. Users can select a satellite from a list and track its current location, or follow the special pointer to see the light of the flying satellite over their location. The app is ad-supported, but ads can be removed with a subscription. SATELLITES LIVE is a renewable subscription that provides ad-free access to tracking satellites’ live orbiting over Earth and in the sky.
5. Heavens-Above
The Heavens-Above app is available to provide users with precise pass predictions for the International Space Station (ISS), visible satellites, and radio satellites. It offers a live sky chart that allows users to see what is in the sky above them at any given moment. Other main features include pass predictions for the ISS and visible satellites, as well as for amateur radio satellites with uplink and downlink information. The app also provides information about the orbit and ground track of selected satellites, details about any satellite, and a timeline with a visual overview of passes. A night mode with an optional red on black color scheme to preserve night vision is also available.
Users can find the location of bright comets, including NEOWISE, in the sky. All calculations are performed locally within the app, which means that users only need a data connection every few days. The app integrates advertisements to provide the app for free. However, users can remove the advertisements by purchasing the Heavens-Above Pro version. The app also offers a tracker feature that allows users to easily find or identify any object in the sky by orienting their device towards it. Finally, users can quickly add interesting passes to their calendar to ensure they do not miss them.
6. Orbit – Satellite Tracking
This technology enables the real-time tracking of satellites and identification of those visible in the nighttime sky. A range of satellite constellations can be selected, including ISS, NOAA, GOES, ORBCOMM, Globalstar, Iridium, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and Geostationary. These options provide a comprehensive view of satellite movements and positions, allowing for accurate tracking and monitoring. The system is designed to operate with a technical writing style, emphasizing clarity and precision.
The ability to track satellites in real time provides a valuable tool for a range of industries and applications. Using this technology, users can monitor satellite movements and activities, and gather data on their positions, trajectories, and orbits. This information can be used for a variety of purposes, including scientific research, environmental monitoring, and military surveillance. By selecting from the available satellite constellations, users can customize their tracking capabilities to suit their specific needs and goals.
The system is user-friendly and intuitive, with clear and concise instructions for operation. Users can easily navigate the interface to select the desired satellite constellations and track their movements in real time. The platform also includes features for data analysis and visualization, allowing users to gain insights into satellite behavior and trends. In addition, the system is designed to be scalable and adaptable, with the ability to incorporate new satellite constellations and functionalities as needed.
7. Look4Sat: Satellite tracker
If you’re interested in tracking the passes of satellites orbiting Earth, you’ll be pleased to know that Celestrak and SatNOGS provide a huge database of over 3,000 active satellites that you can access. You can search for satellite information by name or NORAD catnum in the database.
The application calculates satellite positions and passes relative to your location, making it important to ensure that you set your observation position using GPS or QTH Locator in the Settings menu to obtain reliable information.
The satellite tracking application is built using a range of technologies including Kotlin, Coroutines, Architecture Components, and Jetpack Navigation. It’s completely ad-free and open-source, and will remain so.
Key features of the application include predicting satellite positions and passes up to four days (96 hours) in advance, displaying a list of active and upcoming passes, and providing information on the active pass progress, polar trajectory, and transceivers. Users can also view a map showing satellite positional data, footprint, and ground track. Additionally, users can import custom TLE data via files with TXT or TLE extensions. Calculations are made offline, and it’s recommended to update the TLE data weekly for the offline-first application.