FalconWatch exists to track rockets, not you. Here's what happens with data when you use the site.
Settings like your viewing location and accessibility preferences are saved in your browser's local storage so the site remembers them between visits. This data stays on your device.
If you search for a city or ZIP code, that query is sent through our server to a geocoding service (Open-Meteo for city names, Zippopotam.us for ZIP codes) so we can find the coordinates. If you use “use my current location,” your browser asks permission first, then sends the coordinates through our server to OpenStreetMap Nominatim to resolve a city name. We proxy these requests so those services see the query but not your IP address. We don't store any searches.
If you share a viewing location, those coordinates are sent through our server to Open-Meteo to pull weather data for your visibility prediction. The coordinates are not stored but may appear briefly in server logs maintained by our host (Vercel).
If you subscribe, your email is encrypted (AES-256-GCM) before storage and only decrypted to send you a launch notification through Resend. When you unsubscribe, your data is permanently deleted.
Map tiles load directly from OpenStreetMap tile servers to render the map. On first visit, this shows the launch site area. If you've shared a viewing location, the map adjusts to show both areas. See OpenStreetMap's privacy policy.
Every external service FalconWatch talks to, and why. All connections use HTTPS.
Questions about this statement? Reach out on GitHub.
Last updated February 2026