Skip to content

🚀 SPACEAPP v5.5 — Stable Release Notes

Choose a tag to compare

View all tags
@Henrycoding-design Henrycoding-design released this 19 Jan 12:37
· 4 commits to main since this release
v5.5
4b0a0f0
This commit was created on GitHub.com and signed with GitHub’s verified signature.
GPG key ID: B5690EEEBB952194
Verified
Learn about vigilant mode.

SPACEAPP v5.5 is a major stability and capability upgrade focused on performance, scalability, and usability. This release builds on the solid foundation of v5.0 while introducing significant improvements to satellite search, tracking efficiency, database handling, and distribution.

All core features from v5.0 remain fully supported.

Highlights

Satellite Path Prediction

SPACEAPP v5.5 extends beyond live position tracking by enabling visualization of satellite orbital paths and review of last known positions. This provides greater context for satellite motion and supports more analytical use cases.

Advanced Sky Search (near:)

Satellite searches are no longer limited to the user’s current device location. Users may now query the sky from any location on Earth by specifying a place name or geographic coordinates.

Syntax:

near: <place or coordinates>; alt: <altitude>; radius: <0–90>; catid: <category ID>

Only the near: parameter is required. All other parameters are optional and will fall back to device defaults if omitted.

Supabase Pre-Search Pipeline

A new cloud-synced, pre-indexed satellite database significantly improves search performance and scalability.

Key benefits:

  • Ultra-fast name-based satellite lookup

  • Support for datasets up to 10× larger

  • Improved handling of aliases, alternative names, and edge cases

  • Automatic background updates with no user intervention required

  • This pipeline complements the local on-device database to maintain both speed and offline reliability.

Smart API Reduction

  • API usage has been further optimized to reduce unnecessary calls without compromising usability.

  • Non-Starlink satellites (MEO/GEO) are now updated every other polling cycle

  • Results in an average API call reduction of approximately 25%, depending on tracked satellite composition

  • Optimization applies automatically across both API modes

This improves efficiency, lowers bandwidth usage, and helps users stay within API limits.

Check Info (GitHub Notifications)

SPACEAPP now connects to a GitHub-hosted information endpoint to deliver:

  • Important notices

  • User surveys

  • New release notifications

  • Messages appear occasionally within the app and do not interrupt normal usage.

Dedicated x64 Installer

SPACEAPP now ships with a full-featured x64 installer rather than a compressed executable package.

Benefits include:

  • Custom installation paths

  • Cleaner system integration

  • Safer upgrades and uninstalls

  • Improved long-term maintainability

This installer replaces the previous ZIP-based distribution method.

Core Features (Unchanged from v5.0)

Curated satellite database (~800 satellites) across five categories:

  • Special

  • Starlink

  • Science

  • Weather

  • GPS

  • One-click satellite details from curated lists

  • Manual NORAD ID lookup for satellites outside curated sets

  • Dual API modes to balance refresh speed and efficiency

  • Name-based satellite search

  • In-app tooltips explaining technical fields

Database Architecture

Cloud Database (Supabase)

  • Pre-indexed and continuously updated

  • Supports large-scale name-based searches

  • Handles renames, decayed satellites, and metadata changes automatically

Local Database (On-Device)

  • Provides offline access and core functionality

  • Periodic update prompts ensure accuracy

  • Updates are optional but recommended

Important:
Interrupting database updates (e.g., force-closing the app) may corrupt local data and require reinstallation.

Location Handling

Device location is estimated via IP address

VPN usage may result in inaccurate positioning

Location data is cached per session; restarting the app refreshes it

API Modes and Polling Optimization

SPACEAPP v5.5 introduces intelligent polling behavior based on satellite type and selection composition. Efficient Mode prioritizes reduced API usage, while Non-Efficient Mode prioritizes responsiveness.

Non-Starlink satellites automatically skip alternate polling cycles, significantly reducing API load in mixed or non-LEO scenarios.

Recommendations

  • Use Efficient Mode for regular usage and long sessions

  • Use Non-Efficient Mode for short, high-refresh sessions

  • Keep the satellite database updated when prompted

  • Prefer curated satellite categories for best reliability

Privacy

SPACEAPP accesses only public satellite data sources. No personal data is collected beyond what is necessary for normal application operation.

Credits

Vo Tan Binh (Henry Vo)
Original and sole developer of SPACEAPP

License

© Vo Tan Binh. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized redistribution or reuse of software assets, data, or code is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the author.

SPACEAPP v5.5 represents a significant step forward in reliability, scalability, and analytical capability, while remaining accessible and lightweight for educational and exploratory use.

Assets 3
Loading