Live Space Launches & Rocket Tracker

The Space Devs' Launch Library 2 is the most comprehensive open API for spaceflight data. It aggregates launch schedules, rocket configurations, mission details, and launch pad coordinates from every active space agency and commercial launch provider worldwide. Returns up to 50 upcoming launches with detailed metadata.

A server-side Route Handler proxies the Launch Library 2 API, normalizing each launch into a flat LaunchEvent schema with agency name, rocket configuration, mission type, orbit classification, and launch pad coordinates. 15-minute cache with stale-while-revalidate for optimal freshness without rate-limit issues.

Each launch is color-coded by agency: SpaceX (blue), CASC (red), ISRO (amber), Roscosmos (green), Arianespace (purple), Rocket Lab (cyan), ULA (slate), JAXA (pink), NASA (light blue). The classification enables instant visual identification of which agencies dominate the launch cadence.

Multiple launches from the same pad are grouped into a single point with radius scaled by launch count. Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg, Baikonur, Jiuquan, and Sriharikota show as larger markers when they have more scheduled launches. Click any pad to see launch details.

globe.gl renders launch pads as WebGL points on a night-sky earth with indigo atmosphere. Animated arc trajectories show approximate orbit paths: GEO/GTO arcs reach high altitude, SSO arcs angle poleward, LEO/ISS arcs stay low. Country borders from Natural Earth 110m provide geographic context.

A real-time countdown timer shows time remaining until the next scheduled launch, updating every second. The countdown displays days, hours, minutes, and seconds in a compact format. When a launch window arrives, the timer switches to 'LAUNCHED!' status.