Visualizations by
Kel Elkins
Released on January 30, 2023
These visualizations show the current orbits of NASA's fleet of Earth observing spacecraft. Satellite orbits are generated using today's two-line element sets (TLEs). The still image at the top of the page is updated every 10 minutes. The video is updated once per day.
Spacecraft included: • Aqua • Aura • CALIPSO: Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation • CYGNSS-1: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 1 • CYGNSS-2: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 2 • CYGNSS-3: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 3 • CYGNSS-4: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 4 • CYNGSS-5: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 5 • CYGNSS-7: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 7 • CYGNSS-8: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 8 • Cloudsat • GPM: Global Precipitation Measurement • GRACE-FO-1: Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On-1 • GRACE-FO-2: Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On-2 • ICESat-2 • ISS: International Space Station • Landsat 8 • Landsat 9 • OCO-2: Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 • SMAP: Soil Moisture Passive Active • Suomi NPP: Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership • Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich • SWOT • Terra
The clouds used in this version are from a high resolution GEOS model run at 10 minute time steps interpolated down to the per-frame level. The timeframe for this model does not match the date in this fleet visualization, so the clouds shown do not represent actual conditions for today.