Latest News from Space Station Research - NASA
Find out the latest information about space station scientific research and technology demonstrations going on in the orbital laboratory.
www.nasa.govHere’s where the ISS currently orbits and how it’s tracked.
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Orbit path: The International Space Station circles the Earth in a near-polar, low-Earth orbit with an average altitude around 400 kilometers (about 250 miles). Its inclination is about 51.6 degrees, allowing it to pass over a large portion of populated areas on each pass. This configuration has been in place since its assembly and is used to maximize ground coverage as it completes roughly 15–16 orbits per day.
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Orbital period and speed: It completes a full orbit roughly every 93 minutes, traveling at about 27,600 kilometers per hour (17,200 mph). This results in about 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets per day for the crew onboard.
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Ground track and visibility: Because of the 51.6-degree inclination, the ISS’s ground track covers much of the inhabited world, and the station is often visible from many locations with unaided eyes when overhead during dawn or dusk passes. The exact ground track changes with occasional reboosts that adjust altitude and orbital plane as needed for rendezvous with visiting spacecraft.
Illustrative note:
- If you want real-time tracking or live views, you can check NASA’s official ISS trackers or trusted live streams that show the current position and velocity, along with pass predictions for your location.
If you’d like, I can pull the latest live position for your exact location in Santa Clara, CA and confirm upcoming visible passes over your area.