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| The International Space Station ISS operates at an average altitude of 420km above the Earth's surface. (Source: NASA) |
Although located in space, the space station can still be seen from Earth at times when the station is at low altitude.
A YouTube channel has just released a video showing the incredible speed at which the space station travels through space: about 28,000 kilometers per hour. At this speed, the space station completes one orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes, and the crew living on the ISS experiences 16 sunrises and sunsets each day. Since it was launched in 1998, the ISS has orbited the Earth hundreds of thousands of times.
The ISS orbits the Earth at an average altitude of 420 km above the surface. In terms of size, the ISS is 108 meters long. In terms of living space, the ISS is larger than a six-bedroom house.
The spaceships that dock with the ISS also contribute to the expansion of the station's volume. At least one Soyuz spacecraft is always docked to the station as a "rescue ship" and is replaced every six months by another Soyuz with a new crew.
The ISS is a product of international cooperation, with 15 countries currently involved in its operation. After more than 20 years of operation, the cost of the ISS has reached $160 billion, of which the United States provides $100 billion.
NASA is the representative managing the activities on the ISS station. Each year, NASA has to spend 3-4 billion USD to operate the station. This figure for Europe is only about 1 billion USD/year and Russia is 500 million USD/year.
The ISS won't be in space forever. NASA has outlined a $1 billion strategy to bring the ISS back to Earth by 2031.
After the ISS, other private space stations could be launched into low Earth orbit in the coming years.
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