Gpredict (beta) is a free satellite tracker and satellite orbit prediction software. This can help you check when a particular satellite will come near to your current location or on a particular location. It lets you check Orbit info of a satellite that includes Satellite operational status, Catalogue number, Orbit number @ epoch, Inclination, and other information.
It tracks satellite in real-time and tries to give as much correct information as possible (based on its database). You can also update database (or you can say TLE (Two-line element set) information) using a local file or from network. Apart from that, it comes with an option to change the default layout for satellite tracking by selecting any of the available layouts.
This software shows information for a default satellite and location on its interface. However, you can add a New Module to track a specific satellite for the location of your choice. Multiple Modules can be added on its interface as tabs, which make this software a bit advanced and different than other similar tools.
Above you can see different modules visible on its interface and a world map that shows the locations and information for a particular satellite.
Other similar software that you can try are: Home Planet and TLE Analyser.
Using This Free Satellite Tracker and Orbit Prediction Software:
Grab the zip file of this software and extract it. That file contains a portable application of this software. Launch that file to open its UI. You will see a world map locating different satellites and information related to a particular satellite.
Create A New Module To Track A Particular Satellite for A Particular Location:
To track a specific satellite for a particular location, you need to create a New Module using File menu. Creating a module is really easy. All you need to do is select a satellite from the available list, give a name to your Module, set Ground Station using ‘+‘ button and click OK.
The module will be added as a tab on its interface and show the information and location of that satellite. It can also predict time when that satellite or International Space Station will visible. The location, range rate, altitude, velocity, and other information is also visible in real-time.
Change Layout and Other Settings:
You need to access Preferences window using Edit menu to:
- Set the time format and to show local time instead of UTC.
- Use Imperial units instead of Metrics.
- Set TLE update schedule. You can also manually update TLE.
- Change the layout: World map, polar and single satellite, World map, Polar and single sat, All views, and other layouts are available to choose from.
- Set refresh rate for Satellite info.
- Set colors for satellites. This will help you easily indicate a particular satellite, and more.
The Verdict:
Gpredict satellite tracker is a valuable software and very helpful for those who want to gain knowledge related to satellites and track them. You can track satellites separately with the help of modules for different locations. The information can’t be saved for a satellite, but yes its real-time tracking feature is there to get updated information.
