Open Notify

What Open Notify MCP server does

The Open Notify MCP server gives an MCP-compatible AI client access to two data operations from the Open Notify API. iss_now() returns the International Space Station's current latitude and longitude. astros() returns the people currently in space, including each person's name and spacecraft.

No authentication is required for the Open Notify data calls. This makes the server suitable for prototypes, educational assistants, space-status dashboards, and agent workflows that need a current position or crew list without managing API credentials.

The underlying API previously exposed an ISS pass-prediction endpoint, but that endpoint was retired in 2022. The supported data surface is limited to the current ISS position and current people-in-space listing.

How it works

The Open Notify MCP server is available in two deployment forms. A remote connection uses the Pipeworx gateway's streamable HTTP endpoint:

https://gateway.pipeworx.io/open-notify/mcp

A local connection runs the published npm package with npx and communicates through standard input and output. Both forms provide the same Open Notify tools and use the same source data.

The gateway endpoint lists the pack's tools along with Pipeworx-wide meta-tools. Those additional tools can route questions to other sources in the wider Pipeworx catalog. The standalone process does not include those shared tools; its MCP scope contains only the Open Notify pack. The gateway's initialize response is the authoritative source for the tools available on a particular connection.

The gateway also offers a full endpoint at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp. Connecting there lists all catalog tools directly rather than only the Open Notify pack, while the scoped endpoint still has access to gateway routing through ask_pipeworx.

Setup and configuration

For a remote setup, add the scoped gateway URL to an MCP client's server configuration. Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf are named as supported client options in the project instructions.

For a local setup, configure the client to run:

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

Running npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-open-notify directly can confirm that the local process starts. No environment variables or credentials are documented as required.

The gateway tools can also be called over HTTP. For example, a POST request to /v1/tools/iss_now with an empty JSON object invokes the current-position operation. Tool metadata can be inspected with a GET request to the corresponding tool path.

Tools and capabilities

• iss_now() — retrieves the ISS's current latitude and longitude.
• astros() — retrieves names of people currently in space and their spacecraft.
• ask_pipeworx — available through the gateway connection for natural-language routing across the broader Pipeworx catalog, not through the standalone local package.

The Open Notify MCP server does not require callers to provide arguments for the two pack-specific tools described in the README. Gateway users can ask questions in plain language through ask_pipeworx; the gateway selects a tool and supplies its arguments.

Limitations and notes

The package reports current status data rather than historical records or future ISS pass predictions. The retired ISS-pass endpoint is not part of the supported interface. Gateway connections expose extra shared schemas, which can increase the tool list and context compared with the local stdio process. Use the local mode when the application needs only these two tools and no gateway-wide routing.