For journalists, researchers, and writers covering spaceflight, satellite tracking, or commercial space. Facts, assets, citation format, and direct contact for inquiries.
| Service | LaunchDetect — independent thermal-detection for rocket launches |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Web | https://launchdetect.com/ |
| iOS | App Store (Apple App ID 6762911197) |
| Android | Google Play |
| Data sources | NOAA GOES-18 (GOES-West, 137.2W), NOAA GOES-19 (GOES-East, 75.2W), JMA Himawari-9 (140.7E) |
| Detection band | ABI band 7, 3.9 µm shortwave infrared |
| Spaceports covered | 17 active worldwide |
| Detection latency | 30 to 90 seconds from ignition |
| Confidence threshold | 0.70 (false-positive rate < 5%) |
| Affiliations | None — independent commercial service. Not affiliated with NASA, NOAA, JMA, FAA, or any government agency. |
| Press contact | ops@launchdetect.com |
Each LaunchDetect detection has a permanent, content-stable URL with structured Event + NewsArticle JSON-LD. The preferred citation form for academic and journalistic use:
LaunchDetect thermal confirmation, satellite=NOAA GOES-19, band=ABI 7 (3.9 µm SWIR), detection_utc=2026-05-11T19:42:17Z, ignition_lat=28.5618, ignition_lon=-80.5772, plume_azimuth_deg=87.3, url=https://launchdetect.com/launches/falcon-9-block-5-nrol-172-2026-05-12/
Every claim is independently verifiable against the public NOAA CLASS and JMA Open Data archives.
App icon, screenshots, and methodology diagrams are available for editorial use with attribution and a link back to launchdetect.com.
App icon (1024x1024 PNG) About page Methodology page Spaceport atlasPress inquiries, exclusive data partnerships, analyst briefings:
ops@launchdetect.com