Mission and observations
Astronauts live and work aboard the station, conducting investigations in microgravity and observing Earth. A location on the globe describes the point beneath the station at one instant; it does not say whether you can see the ISS from the ground.
How to read the orbital position
In CUPOLA, follow NORAD 25544 to view an SGP4-predicted position and the changing ground track. The projected path is calculated from orbital elements, not a live GPS stream from the station. Visibility from a city also depends on sunlight, the horizon and local conditions.
Important distinction
A predicted pass above your region is not necessarily a visible pass. Use an observer-specific visibility forecast for that question.
CUPOLA uses orbital elements and SGP4 to estimate position and ground track. These are mathematical predictions rather than directly measured real-time spacecraft coordinates. Old or unverified source data may prevent a current result from appearing.
Mission source
Read the spacecraft's scientific and operational background from the mission organization.
NASA — International Space Station ↗