I Built an ISS Tracker That Shows Astronauts in Space Right Now (30 Lines of Python)

#python #api #tutorial #beginners

I wanted to show my students something cool about APIs. Something visual, real-time, and mind-blowing.

So I built a script that tells you exactly where the International Space Station is right now and who is aboard it.

30 lines. No API key. Updates every second.

The API

Open Notify is a free API that tracks the ISS position and crew. Three endpoints, zero authentication.

The Code

import requests
from datetime import datetime, timezone

def iss_position():
    r = requests.get('http://api.open-notify.org/iss-now.json')
    data = r.json()
    pos = data['iss_position']
    print(f'ISS Position: {pos["latitude"]}, {pos["longitude"]}')
    ts = datetime.fromtimestamp(data['timestamp'], tz=timezone.utc)
    print(f'As of: {ts.strftime("%H:%M:%S UTC")}')

def people_in_space():
    r = requests.get('http://api.open-notify.org/astros.json')
    data = r.json()
    print(f'{data["number"]} humans in space right now:')
    for person in data['people']:
        print(f'  {person["name"]} aboard {person["craft"]}')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    iss_position()
    people_in_space()

Output

ISS Position: 45.2341, -122.8673
As of: 14:32:07 UTC

6 humans in space right now:
  Oleg Kononenko aboard ISS
  Tracy Dyson aboard ISS
  Matthew Dominick aboard ISS

Why This Is a Perfect First API Project

No auth - skip the OAuth tutorial, just fetch data
Real-time - the position changes every second
Human element - actual names of real people in space
Visual potential - plot on a map for an impressive portfolio project
Conversation starter - show anyone and they will ask questions

Build Ideas

Is the ISS above me? Compare ISS position to user geolocation
Orbit visualizer - poll every 10 seconds, plot the path
Slack bot - /iss command that shows position and crew
Raspberry Pi display - dedicated screen showing ISS position 24/7

I have built Python clients for 25+ free APIs including ISS, SpaceX, earthquakes, weather, and crypto.

What would you build with real-time ISS data?

Need custom dev tools, API integrations, or web scrapers? I build automation that saves teams hours. Email spinov001@gmail.com — or explore awesome-web-scraping.

Need data from the web without writing scrapers? Check my *Apify actors** — ready-made scrapers for HN, Reddit, LinkedIn, and 75+ more sites. Or email: spinov001@gmail.com*

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