There are currently two crewed space stations orbiting Earth — the International Space Station and China's Tiangong. Both are visible to the naked eye from your backyard on any clear evening. OrbitalNodes tracks both in real time so you can see exactly which ones are above your horizon right now.
The ISS is the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus — easily spotted without any equipment as a fast-moving star crossing from horizon to horizon in about 5 minutes. Tiangong is almost as bright. OrbitalNodes shows you exactly when each station will pass over your location tonight.
🔭 TRACK BOTH STATIONS LIVE| ISS | TIANGONG | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | USA / Russia / ESA / Japan / Canada | China (CNSA) |
| Altitude | ~420 km | ~390–420 km |
| Inclination | 51.6° | 41.5° |
| Size | 109m × 73m (football pitch) | ~68m × 17m (much smaller) |
| Mass | ~420,000 kg | ~70,000 kg |
| Crew capacity | 7 (typical 3–7) | 3 (typical 3) |
| Peak magnitude | -4 (very bright) | -3 (bright) |
| Naked eye? | Yes — always | Yes — always |
| Orbit period | ~92 min | ~92 min |
| Passes per day | Up to 5 visible passes | Up to 5 visible passes |
| First launch | 1998 (Zarya module) | 2021 (Tianhe core) |
| NORAD ID | 25544 | 48274 |
| Latitude coverage | 51.6°N to 51.6°S | 41.5°N to 41.5°S |
| Visibility from | Most populated areas on Earth | Tropics and mid-latitudes only |
Two crewed space stations are currently in orbit: the International Space Station (ISS) and China's Tiangong. The ISS has been continuously crewed since November 2000. Tiangong reached full operational status in 2022 and has been continuously crewed since. No other crewed space stations currently exist, though Axiom Space is constructing commercial modules that will eventually detach from the ISS to form a private station.
Yes — both the ISS and Tiangong are visible to the naked eye on the same evening if passes align for your location. They orbit at similar altitudes of around 420km and both reach peak magnitudes between -3 and -4, making them two of the brightest objects in the night sky. OrbitalNodes shows pass times for both simultaneously so you can plan a night to see both.
The ISS is significantly brighter. At 109 metres wide and 420,000 kg, the ISS has a much larger solar array surface area reflecting sunlight. It regularly reaches magnitude -4 — as bright as Venus. Tiangong at around 68 metres wide peaks at roughly magnitude -3, which is still very bright and easily visible, but noticeably dimmer than the ISS at its best.
Tiangong orbits at 41.5° inclination, meaning it only passes over latitudes between 41.5°N and 41.5°S. If you are in northern Europe, Canada, Scandinavia, or the northern US above 42° latitude, Tiangong will never pass overhead — it's below your horizon at all times. The ISS at 51.6° inclination covers a much wider band of Earth's surface and is visible from nearly all populated areas.
The ISS is a multinational collaborative project involving NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA — 15 nations in total. It is roughly six times heavier than Tiangong and carries up to 7 crew. Tiangong is entirely Chinese-designed and operated by CNSA, carries 3 crew, and is considerably smaller. Both orbit at similar altitudes and both are permanently crewed. The ISS is currently scheduled for deorbit around 2030; Tiangong is planned to operate through at least 2035.
NASA and its partners plan to deorbit the ISS around 2030. Several commercial successors are in development: Axiom Station (Axiom Space) is attaching modules to the ISS now and plans to detach as an independent station. Starlab (Voyager Space / Airbus) and Blue Origin's Orbital Reef are also in development for the 2030s. China plans to expand Tiangong and has announced an international science programme.
The best time to see either station is during the 30-90 minutes after sunset or before sunrise — the twilight window when you are in darkness but the station is still in direct sunlight at 420km altitude. A station pass lasts about 5 minutes and requires no equipment — just clear skies and a dark location away from streetlights.