Independent developer Lukas Nagy launched Orbit, an iOS 17+ app that renders 15,000+ satellites, planets, and constellations through augmented reality, a 2D map, and a 3D globe. The app pulls orbital elements from CelesTrack to calculate real-time positions and pass predictions for objects including the ISS, Starlink constellations, and orbital debris. Users point their iPhone or iPad camera at the sky to identify objects overhead, then tap for detailed orbital parameters and visibility windows.

The privacy architecture processes camera frames and location data entirely on-device — no frames are recorded or transmitted. Approximate location and motion sensors drive sky calculations locally. Anonymous diagnostics cover launch performance, crash logs, and aggregated feature usage without cross-app tracking. An optional chatbot routes questions to Google Gemini API with guardrails restricting responses to space topics; chat data never links to user identity since the app requires no account.

For a first published iOS app, Orbit demonstrates disciplined scope: it solves the satellite-tracking problem without account walls, cloud dependencies, or ad SDKs. The on-device AR pipeline and local orbital propagation make it functional offline after the initial CelesTrack fetch. The Gemini integration adds educational value but remains strictly opt-in, preserving the app's privacy-first posture.