N2yo

What N2yo MCP server does

The N2yo MCP server gives MCP-compatible AI clients access to selected N2YO satellite-tracking operations. It focuses on three tasks: retrieving a satellite's current position, predicting visible passes, and listing satellites overhead from a specified location.

The service identifies satellites by NORAD ID. For example, the ISS can be queried with NORAD ID 25544. Observer-based requests use latitude and longitude, allowing the returned position, viewing angles, or pass information to be interpreted from a location on Earth.

How it works

N2yo MCP server can be reached in two ways. The hosted option uses the Pipeworx gateway at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/n2yo/mcp, which is configured as a remote MCP endpoint. The gateway endpoint also exposes shared Pipeworx meta-tools in addition to the satellite tools listed here. Those shared tools can route questions across the wider Pipeworx catalog.

A local option runs @pipeworx/mcp-n2yo with npx and communicates through standard input and output. The local process lists and handles only the N2YO pack's tools, without the gateway's shared meta-tools or gateway routing. The same source and core satellite capabilities are available in both modes.

Clients that do not use MCP directly can call the hosted tools over HTTP. For example, POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/get_positions accepts a JSON request containing norad_id, lat, and lon.

Setup and configuration

For a remote connection, add the gateway URL to the MCP client's server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n2yo": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/n2yo/mcp"
    }
  }
}

For local stdio execution, configure the client to run:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n2yo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-n2yo"]
    }
  }
}

No environment variables or additional configuration values are documented for the local package. The project is released under the MIT license.

Tools and capabilities

• get_positions returns a satellite's current or near-term latitude, longitude, altitude, azimuth, and elevation from an observer's location.
• get_visual_passes predicts naked-eye passes for a satellite. Results include start, maximum, and end times; elevation; azimuth values; brightness magnitude; and duration.
• whats_above lists satellites currently above an observer within a selected radius of the zenith. It can optionally filter by category, including Starlink, amateur radio, or brightest-satellite categories.

The N2yo MCP server is a suitable fit for location-aware satellite questions, observation planning, and simple overhead-object lookups. It is not presented as a general orbital-analysis or satellite-control interface.

Limitations and notes

The hosted pack endpoint lists shared gateway tools alongside the three N2YO tools, so its total tool count is larger than the pack's own capabilities. The local stdio mode avoids those shared tools. The gateway's tool scope can change, and its initialize response is the authoritative source for the tools exposed on a given day.

Results depend on the observer coordinates, satellite identifier, category filters, and the underlying N2YO data returned by the gateway. The material does not document historical tracking, satellite control, authentication settings, or custom orbital calculations.