An LED Globe That Blinks When ISS Passes Overhead

The 'An LED Globe That Blinks When ISS Passes Overhead' project operates as an Internet of Things (IoT) visualization system built around a NodeMCU microcontroller powered by an ESP8266 Wi-Fi module. The core functionality relies on bridging real-time orbital tracking data from web services to physical hardware. First, a tracking service like IFTTT monitors the real-time coordinates of the International Space Station. When the ISS passes over a designated geographic location, IFTTT triggers a data feed sent to Adafruit IO, a cloud-based IoT platform. The NodeMCU microcontroller, programmed using the Arduino IDE, connects to your local Wi-Fi network and continuously polls the Adafruit IO feed for state changes. Upon receiving the trigger signal indicating an overhead ISS pass, the microcontroller changes the digital output state of the GPIO pin connected to a 5mm LED. This causes the LED, housed inside a custom globe structure supported by a thick cardboard stand and wired with connecting wires, to illuminate or blink. Once the pass concludes, the cloud service updates, and the microcontroller switches the LED off. The entire system demonstrates end-to-end cloud-to-hardware communication, combining wireless networking principles with basic digital output control to render abstract space telemetry into a tangible, localized visual display.