Launch Library 2

Overview

Launch Library 2 (LL2, by The Space Devs) is the maintained successor to Launch Library — upcoming/past space launches, rockets, pads, agencies, and events, updated in near-real-time. Keyless and CORS-enabled (verified live), it’s the go-to source for launch trackers and space dashboards (including the SpaceX-API alternative).

Quick Start

Upcoming launches (verified live):

curl "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/launch/upcoming/?limit=3"

{
  "count": 12,
  "next": "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/launch/upcoming/?limit=3&offset=3",
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "abc-123",
      "name": "Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-9",
      "status": { "name": "Go for Launch" },
      "net": "2026-08-23T02:30:00Z",
      "launch_service_provider": { "name": "SpaceX" },
      "rocket": { "configuration": { "name": "Falcon 9" } },
      "image": { "image_url": "https://spacelaunchnow-prod-east.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/..." }
    }
  ]
}

Past launches:

curl "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/launch/previous/?limit=3"

Agencies / rockets / pads:

curl "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/agencies/?limit=5"
curl "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/rocket/?limit=5"
curl "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/pad/?limit=5"

Authentication

None — keyless (an optional free token raises rate limits).

Rate Limits & Notes

• Free tier: rate-limited (~10 requests/minute anonymously); a free token raises it.
• The API docs (ll.thespacedevs.com) include an interactive explorer.
• Launch net is the expected launch time (ISO-8601); status.name tells you the current status.
• Launch images are hotlink-friendly (DigitalOcean Spaces CDN).

FAQ

Is Launch Library 2 free? Yes — keyless with rate limits; a free token raises them.

Is it still maintained? Yes — it’s the actively-maintained successor to the original Launch Library (and a solid alternative to the dead SpaceX API).

What data does it cover? Launches, rockets, pads, agencies, and spaceflight events.