What is the difference between LaunchDetect and Heavens-Above?

Heavens-Above is a long-standing visible-satellite-pass predictor and ephemeris reference, popular with amateur astronomers. LaunchDetect is a broader space-situational-awareness platform that includes pass prediction (Tonight's Sky) plus independent rocket-launch detection from geostationary thermal imagery, a 3D Cesium globe, NOTAMs, ADS-B aircraft, AIS vessels, AR sky overlay, native iOS / Android apps, and a public space data API.

Which is better for satellite pass prediction, LaunchDetect or Heavens-Above?

Heavens-Above is the gold standard for visible-pass tables and ephemeris lookups, with a 20+ year history. LaunchDetect's Tonight's Sky feature delivers equivalent pass-prediction data in a modern UI with AR sky overlay and native iOS / Android apps, plus the unique pairing of every satellite with the rocket-launch detection that put it in orbit. For pure pass-table lookups Heavens-Above is fine; for AR, mobile, and an integrated platform with launch context, LaunchDetect is the better tool.

Does Heavens-Above detect rocket launches?

No. Heavens-Above tracks satellites already in orbit using TLE catalogs. It does not perform rocket-launch detection. LaunchDetect uniquely detects every rocket launch on Earth from NOAA GOES and JMA Himawari geostationary thermal imagery within 30 to 90 seconds of ignition.

LaunchDetect vs Heavens-Above.

Heavens-Above is the canonical satellite-pass predictor — and has been for 20+ years. LaunchDetect is the modern integrated platform that builds on pass prediction with launch detection, AR, mobile apps, and a public API.

Feature matrix

Feature	LaunchDetect	Heavens-Above
Visible-pass prediction	Tonight's Sky (Silver tier)	Free, comprehensive
Iridium / ISS / Hubble / Starlink passes	Yes	Yes
Live satellite catalog	10,000+ objects, CelesTrak refresh	CelesTrak / Space-Track TLE
3D globe view	Cesium, real-time	2D maps only
Independent rocket-launch detection	Thermal IR, 30-90s from ignition	No
Per-launch citation archive	Permanent URLs with Event JSON-LD	No
NOTAM overlay	FAA AST	No
ADS-B aircraft layer	Real-time	No
AIS vessel layer	Range vessels + droneships	No
Wildfire thermal anomalies	Same sensor stack	No
AR sky overlay	Point phone at sky (Gold)	No
Native iOS app	App Store, iOS 17+	Mobile-web only
Native Android app	Google Play, Android 12+	No native
Push alerts on launch	APNs + FCM, 30-90s	No
Geofilter alerts	Per-spaceport, operator, vehicle	No
Public API + structured data	JSON, RSS, Atom + schema.org Event	No public API
Webhook delivery	Business tier	No
Free tier	Full live map + archive	Fully free

When to pick which

Pick Heavens-Above if you are an amateur astronomer who wants the canonical visible-pass tables with deep ephemeris detail. Free and comprehensive for pure pass prediction.

Pick LaunchDetect if you want a modern integrated platform that combines pass prediction, launch detection, AR overlay, native mobile apps, and a public API in one place.