# Orbital Traffic — Live 3D Satellite Tracker

> Live 3D visualization of tracked space objects and their orbital data. (iPhone/iPad app by IAN HUNTER LEWIS.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbital-traffic/id6788125984 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [IAN HUNTER LEWIS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788125986)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 6 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 18 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-09-07
- Data updated: 2026-09-30
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbital-traffic/id6788125984/reviews.md

## What is Orbital Traffic?

Track every satellite, station and spacecraft orbiting Earth — in real time.

Orbital Traffic plots more than 19,000 tracked objects on a real-time 3D globe: the International Space Station, crewed capsules and cargo freighters, communications and navigation constellations, science missions, classified payloads, debris, and 77 near-Earth asteroids. Every position is computed on your device from live orbital data.

WHAT'S OVERHEAD
Tap once to see the notable objects passing high above you right now — elevation and compass bearing for each, so you know where to look. No guessing, no simulation, just orbital mechanics running on your phone.

TODAY IN SPACE
A live feed of what actually happened up there: dockings and undockings, launches, re-entries, and crew arrivals — read from real catalog data, never hand-written.

CATCH A LAUNCH TRAIN
A freshly launched batch flies as one long string for its first days in orbit — the "train" people photograph from the ground. Orbital Traffic finds those strings in the live catalog and lights the whole launch on the globe at once, with how high it is, how far apart the satellites have drifted, and how much of the string is left.

THOUSANDS OF OBJECTS, EXPLAINED
Search the catalog for hand-written profiles on 2,800+ notable objects — who built it, why it's up there — plus live telemetry on everything: altitude, speed, orbit shape and current ground position.

FOLLOW THE FLEET
Watch crewed capsules and cargo freighters — Dragon, Soyuz, Progress and Cygnus — from launch through docking to landing, and see who's living aboard the International Space Station and Tiangong right now.

ASTEROIDS UP CLOSE
77 near-Earth asteroids plotted on their real heliocentric orbits, with close-approach dates and sizes.

MAKE IT YOURS
Switch between kilometers and miles, star your favorite objects or save them to a watchlist, and turn the motion down if you prefer a calmer globe.

SHARE THE SKY
Found something interesting in orbit? Generate a shareable card and show everyone what's flying overhead.

Real data. Real spacecraft. Right now.

## Key features

- Real-time 3D globe display
- Track over 19,000 objects
- See what's overhead now
- Search object telemetry
- Object profiles and history
- Watchlist and favorites
- Shareable orbital cards


## Frequently asked questions about Orbital Traffic

### What kind of objects can I track with Orbital Traffic?

Orbital Traffic allows you to track over 19,000 objects in real-time. This includes satellites, the International Space Station, active space missions, navigation constellations, debris, and near-Earth objects (NEOs).

### Does Orbital Traffic show me what's directly above my location?

Yes, Orbital Traffic has a feature to show notable satellites and spacecraft passing high above your current location in real-time, based on live orbital mechanics.

### Can I find detailed information about specific space objects?

Yes, you can search for any tracked object to view its live telemetry, including altitude, speed, orbit shape, and current position. Many notable objects also have detailed profiles explaining their purpose and origin.

### How often is Orbital Traffic updated?

The app was last updated on September 10, 2026, with version 2.0.1. This indicates regular updates to maintain accuracy and functionality.

### What devices is Orbital Traffic available on?

Orbital Traffic is available for iPhone and iPod devices, running on iOS.

### Is Orbital Traffic suitable for children?

Orbital Traffic has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for younger users interested in space exploration and tracking.

### Can I save or share interesting space objects I find?

Yes, you can star your favorite objects or add them to a watchlist for later. You can also generate shareable cards to show others what's flying overhead.

### What is the user rating for Orbital Traffic?

Orbital Traffic has a perfect rating of 5.0 stars based on one user review, indicating a highly positive user experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.1.2 — 2026-09-30

WHAT'S OVERHEAD
A new button on the globe lists what's passing high above you right now, with elevation and compass bearing for each object.

STARLINK TRAIN bug fixed 

TODAY IN SPACE
A live feed of dockings, undockings, launches, re-entries and crew changes, read straight from catalog data.

LAUNCH TRAINS
A freshly launched batch still flying as one string is now found automatically and lit on the globe as a single launch, with its live spacing, altitude and length.

SETTINGS
Kilometers or miles, reduced motion, catalog freshness with a manual refresh, and location controls. Location is read only when you ask for it, used entirely on your device, and never stored or sent anywhere.

A BETTER-SORTED CATALOG
Around 960 objects moved out of the generic "Other" bucket into their real categories, and curated write-ups now cover 2,800+ objects, up from roughly 1,800.

VOYAGER 1
Ask the search box whether you can see it, and you'll now get a straight answer.

ALSO FIXED
The international designator is back on object cards

### 2.1.1 — 2026-09-25

WHAT'S OVERHEAD
A new button on the globe lists what's passing high above you right now, with elevation and compass bearing for each object.

TODAY IN SPACE
A live feed of dockings, undockings, launches, re-entries and crew changes, read straight from catalog data.

LAUNCH TRAINS
A freshly launched batch still flying as one string is now found automatically and lit on the globe as a single launch, with its live spacing, altitude and length.

SETTINGS
Kilometers or miles, reduced motion, catalog freshness with a manual refresh, and location controls. Location is read only when you ask for it, used entirely on your device, and never stored or sent anywhere.

A BETTER-SORTED CATALOG
Around 960 objects moved out of the generic "Other" bucket into their real categories, and curated write-ups now cover 2,800+ objects, up from roughly 1,800.

VOYAGER 1
Ask the search box whether you can see it, and you'll now get a straight answer.

ALSO FIXED
The international designator is back on object cards and share images. Quick taps on the orbit-class legend no longer trigger double-tap zoom. Objects without a curated write-up now get a real description instead of a catch-all.

### 2.1.0 — 2026-09-17

Deep space, and thousands of satellites that finally explain themselves.

NEW — WHERE'S VOYAGER?
Searching for Voyager 1 or 2, Pioneer 10 or 11, New Horizons, the James Webb Space Telescope, Parker Solar Probe or the Tesla Roadster now gives you a real answer — current distance, one-way light time, and a plain explanation of why they can't appear on the globe — instead of "No matches found".

BETTER EXPLANATIONS
• Nearly 1,000 satellites filed under "Other" have been researched and re-filed as science, communications or classified — so their write-ups actually surface.
• Every satellite without a hand-written profile now gets a real explanation of what it does and what its orbit is for, instead of one generic line.
• Around 100 new hand-written profiles, now covering 2,800+ objects.

FIXES
• Fixed quick taps on the orbit-class legend triggering iOS double-tap zoom.
• Near-Earth asteroid distances were being computed from the wrong side of the Sun, and are now correct.
• Catalog loading is steadier — a degraded refresh can no longer overwrite good data.
-

### 2.0.1 — 2026-09-10

- What's New in 2.0.1

Track entire rocket launches at once — tap a "Starlink train" (or any fresh launch) in Today in Space to follow the whole batch together as it flies.

Redesigned Today in Space feed with clearer icons
More variety in the objects featured on the home screen
Dozens of new object write-ups added to the catalog
Fixed pinch-to-zoom lag and unwanted camera drift while zooming
Fixed a bug where tapping search would zoom the whole screen
Fixed the info card overlapping the sidebar on smaller phones
-

### 2.0.0 — 2026-09-07

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Orbital Traffic

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Milky Way: Cosmic Playground](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/milky-way-cosmic-playground/id1607487131) | 4.7 (1,868) | Free | Reference |
| [Find Starlink Satellites](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/find-starlink-satellites/id1501517711) | 3.8 (83) | Free | Reference |
| [Solar Walk Lite - Planetarium](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-walk-lite-planetarium/id1176819919) | 4.6 (32,178) | Free | Reference |
| [Satellite Tracker by Star Walk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satellite-tracker-by-star-walk/id1248172706) | 4.6 (69,547) | Free | Reference |

## Related topics

[orbital](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orbital)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-30.*
