Open-Source International Space Station Tracker ESP32/Arduino for $20

In plain words

This project is an International Space Station tracker built on an affordable ESP32 microcontroller with a touchscreen display, available as open-source code. It connects to the internet to provide live ISS location updates and includes features like touchscreen interaction and backlight management. Designed as an accessible and practical STEM learning tool for classrooms, the complete hardware setup costs around $20, making it an affordable option for educators and students interested in space tracking and embedded systems development.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Simple app to display the current location of the International Space Station on a ESP32 CYD (Cheap Yellow Display) - GuitarML/SpaceStationTracker

SpaceStationTracker is an application that displays the current position of the International Space Station on a 2D world map. It runs on a ESP32-2432S028R ILI9341 device with a 2.8" screen, commonly known as the CYD "Cheap Yellow Display", which costs $20 or less. The code was written using Arduino IDE / ESP32 development environment in c++. I used this project to learn programming for ESP32/Arduino/CYD. It includes topics such as graphics using LVGL, wifi connection, getting information from a restful API, parsing json data, and touchscreen interaction. This would make a great space related STEM classroom project. As of the time of writing, the end of life for the ISS is slated for 2030.…from github.com

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