# Rocket Launch Tracker (`m_ctim/rocket-launch-tracker`) Actor

Get upcoming orbital rocket launches worldwide via the public Launch Library 2 API: mission, rocket, launch provider, pad/location, launch window, and status. For aerospace, media, and space-industry teams tracking the launch manifest.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/m\_ctim/rocket-launch-tracker.md
- **Developed by:** [Timothy Kelvin](https://apify.com/m_ctim) (community)
- **Categories:** Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Rocket Launch Tracker

Get upcoming orbital rocket launches worldwide via the public [Launch
Library 2 API](https://ll.thespacedevs.com/): mission, rocket, launch
provider, pad/location, launch window, and status.

Built for aerospace, media, and space-industry teams tracking the
global launch manifest without checking multiple providers'
individual schedules.

### Input

```json
{
  "keyword": "",
  "daysAhead": 14,
  "maxResults": 25
}
```

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `keyword` | string (optional) | Free-text search across mission name, rocket, and launch provider, e.g. `"SpaceX"` or `"Starlink"`. Leave blank for every upcoming launch. |
| `daysAhead` | number | Only return launches scheduled within this many days from now. Default `14`, max `180`. |
| `maxResults` | number | Max launches to return. Default `25`, max `100`. |

### Output

One record per upcoming launch:

```json
{
  "name": "Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-50",
  "status": "Go for Launch",
  "net": "2026-08-19T02:00:00Z",
  "windowStart": "2026-08-19T01:50:00Z",
  "windowEnd": "2026-08-19T02:20:00Z",
  "provider": "SpaceX",
  "providerType": "Commercial",
  "rocket": "Falcon 9 Block 5",
  "missionName": "Starlink Group 17-50",
  "missionType": "Communication Constellation",
  "orbit": "Low Earth Orbit",
  "padName": "SLC-40",
  "location": "Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA",
  "countryCode": "USA",
  "url": "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/launch/..."
}
```

`net` ("no earlier than") is the current best-estimate launch time;
launch schedules shift frequently, so treat it as an estimate rather
than a guarantee.

### How it works

Direct calls to the public [Launch Library 2
API](https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/) — no proxy, no key, no
scraping. The free tier occasionally times out or returns a transient
5xx under load; the actor retries with backoff before surfacing a
real error, so a hiccup isn't mistaken for "no launches."

### Pricing note

Billed per **search**, not per launch returned — one charge whether
the search returns 0 launches or 100.

### Related products

- [Space Weather Alert](https://github.com/timmKal01/space-weather-alert) — solar/geomagnetic conditions, not launch schedules

# Actor input Schema

## `keyword` (type: `string`):

Free-text search across mission name, rocket, and launch provider, e.g. "SpaceX" or "Starlink". Leave blank for every upcoming launch.

## `daysAhead` (type: `integer`):

Only return launches scheduled within this many days from now.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of launches to return.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "daysAhead": 14,
  "maxResults": 25
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("m_ctim/rocket-launch-tracker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("m_ctim/rocket-launch-tracker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call m_ctim/rocket-launch-tracker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,m_ctim/rocket-launch-tracker"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/vdfm7LbZCfz7JTYYA/builds/tPa68Z8QUHXlqFWra/openapi.json