A Glimpse at the Sky
For aviation fans, a small device built using an ESP32-S3 board is now letting them keep track of what’s in the sky without leaving their desk. The device, shared on the ESP32 subreddit, uses a touch AMOLED screen to show real-time data about nearby aircraft and space launches.
Vadmalis, the creator, spent four evenings working on the device, which offers a live radar of aircraft with detailed views and type-specific icons. Users can choose to track a specific flight and see its path on a world map with projections up to 12 hours ahead.
What sets this build apart is its ability to monitor space launches. It keeps an eye on missions from NASA, Roscosmos, and SpaceX, including crewed flights and Starship launches. Additionally, the gadget shows weather updates and an animated radar, making it a comprehensive tool for sky watchers.
While the device is impressive, the source code for it is not yet publicly available. Once it is, users will need to run it on a Mac, as the build is currently set up for macOS.
Still, Vadmalis has provided links to the hardware needed to build the device. For those wanting a ready-made alternative, XDA Developers recently covered an ESP32-based flight tracker that's currently buildable.