Space stations hurtle around Earth at incredible speeds
Space stations orbit Earth at 17,000 miles per hour, a speed essential for staying in orbit and allowing astronauts to experience 16 sunrises daily while conducting vital research.
Space stations, like the International Space Station (ISS), orbit Earth at a staggering 17,000 miles per hour. This immense speed, crucial for maintaining low Earth orbit, allows them to constantly fall around our planet without crashing down or escaping into deep space. The ISS, launched in 1998, completes a full orbit every 93 minutes, giving astronauts aboard 16 sunrises and sunsets daily.
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