How to Spot the ISS and Satellite Trains From Your Backyard
How to find the next ISS pass over your home, which apps and alerts to use, what the readings mean and how to tell the space station and Starlink trains from planes and planets.
Content pillar · 17 guides · 6 topics
Space Tech
Satellites, launch and the fast-growing commercial space economy.
Start here
The essential space tech guides
Space Tech
Trending
Space Junk: Why Orbital Debris Is a Growing Problem
What space junk is, how much is up there, why collisions and megaconstellations raise the risk, what the rules say and which cleanup technologies are being tested.
Space Tech
Trending
How Reusable Rockets Work: Landings, Refurbishment and Launch Costs
How rocket boosters land themselves, what happens between flights, how the Space Shuttle differs from Falcon 9 and why reuse changed the economics of getting to orbit.
Space Tech · topic
4 guidesLaunches and missions
How Reusable Rockets Work: Landings, Refurbishment and Launch Costs
Reusable rockets fly their first stage, or booster, back to Earth instead of discarding it. After separation, the booster restarts its engines to slow down, steers with grid …
NASA's Artemis Program Explained: Missions, Hardware and What's Next
Artemis is NASA's program to return astronauts to the Moon and build a lasting presence there. Artemis I flew uncrewed in 2022 and Artemis II carried 4 astronauts …
How to Watch a Rocket Launch in Person or Online
To watch a rocket launch, check an official schedule from NASA or the launch company, then pick a public viewing spot near the launch site, such as Titusville …
How to Spot the ISS and Satellite Trains From Your Backyard
To see the ISS tonight, check NASA's free Spot the Station app or website for your location's next visible pass, then look in the listed direction at the …
Space Tech · topic
4 guidesLearning and careers
How to Get a Job in the Space Industry: Roles, Skills and Where to Apply
To get a job in the space industry, pick a segment (launch, satellites, ground systems or government), match your existing skills to a role there, and apply through …
How to Choose a First Telescope: A Beginner Telescope Checklist
Choose a beginner telescope by aperture first, mount second and magnification last. Aim for at least 70 mm of aperture, ideally 4 to 6 inches, on a steady, …
Space Camps and STEM Programs for Kids: Types, Ages, Costs and Free NASA Options
Space camp for kids ranges from local day camps to weeklong residential programs. The best-known, Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, takes ages 9 to 18, with 6-day 2027 …
What Aerospace Engineers Do and How to Become One
Aerospace engineers design, build and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles. Most enter with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related field such as mechanical engineering. …
Space Tech · topic
3 guidesHuman spaceflight
How Space Tourism Works: Suborbital vs Orbital Trips
Space tourism comes in 2 forms. Suborbital trips go up past the edge of space and fall back after a few minutes of weightlessness, with short training. Orbital …
What Replaces the ISS? Commercial Space Stations Explained
Privately built commercial space stations are set to replace the ISS, which is planned to operate through 2030 before a controlled deorbit. NASA would buy services as one …
NASA Spinoffs: Everyday Products That Came From Space Tech (and the Myths)
Real NASA spinoffs include memory foam, the CMOS image sensor in phone cameras, scratch-resistant lens coatings, infrared ear thermometers, emergency blankets and the HACCP food safety system. Tang, …
Space Tech · topic
3 guidesSatellite internet and connectivity
How Satellite Texting on iPhone and Android Works (and How to Test It Before a Trip)
Satellite texting lets a supported phone send short text messages and emergency SOS requests through satellites when there is no cell or Wi-Fi signal. iPhone 14 and later, …
Satellite Internet vs 5G Home Internet: Which Is Better for Your Home?
5G home internet is usually cheaper and simpler if your address has strong 5G coverage, with published latency in the tens of milliseconds. Low-orbit satellite internet works almost …
Satellite Internet for Rural Homes: How Low-Orbit Service Works
Low-orbit satellite internet beams data between a dish at your home and thousands of satellites a few hundred miles up, which keeps latency close to cable at roughly …
Space Tech · topic
2 guidesSatellites in daily life
Space Junk: Why Orbital Debris Is a Growing Problem
Space junk is any human-made object in orbit that no longer works, from dead satellites and spent rocket stages to paint flecks. ESA estimates about 1.5 million pieces …
How GPS Works and Why It Sometimes Gets You Lost
GPS works by timing radio signals from satellites about 12,550 miles up. Your phone measures how long each signal took to arrive, converts that to distance and calculates …
Space Tech · topic
1 guideMore guides
Glossary
Full glossary Space Tech terms explained
Earth Observation
Gathering information about the Earth's surface, oceans, and atmosphere using satellites, aircraft, and drones, often as imagery and sensor data.
Geostationary OrbitA circular orbit about 35,786 km above the equator where a satellite circles at the same rate Earth rotates, so it appears fixed in the sky.
Low Earth OrbitThe region of space roughly 160 to 2,000 km above Earth, home to the International Space Station and many communication satellites.
Satellite ConstellationA group of satellites working together as a system to provide coverage, such as global internet, navigation, or Earth imaging.