SPACE — The International Space Station (ISS) is a multi-country laboratory orbiting 400 kilometers above Earth. The ISS platform brings together internationally distributed flight crews, launch vehicles, launch and flight operations and the international scientific research community.
Maybe, you have also seen the ISS. Because the ISS reflects sunlight and appears as a bright white point of light in the sky.
According to the American Space Agency (NASA), the ISS is usually the brightest object in the sky besides the moon. The ISS can even be seen from the city center. Finding the ISS does not require special equipment because it can be seen with the naked eye.
“The International Space Station’s trajectory passes through more than 90 percent of the Earth’s population,” according to a statement from NASA, reported by Space.
The ISS circles the Earth at an average speed of 28,000 km/h. The ISS completes 16 orbits per day. Because the ISS orbits at an inclination of 51.6 degrees, if you live beyond 51.6 degrees north or south of the equator, the ISS will never appear directly overhead.
The ISS is only visible because it reflects sunlight. The light is not bright enough to be visible in the middle of the day.
The best time to see the ISS is at dawn or dusk. The chances of seeing the ISS can vary between one sighting a month to several times a week, depending on your location and the orbit of the ISS.
How to predict the location of the ISS?
NASA has a website and application called Spot The Station that you can use to explore opportunities for ISS sightings in your area. You can sign up to receive emails or notifications when the space station passes near you.
You will only get a Spot the Station warning from NASA when the ISS passes with a maximum altitude of at least 40 degrees. Because the ISS will be visible above most of the landscape at this altitude.
NASA has also released the “Spot The Station” application which can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android devices if you are curious to see the ISS.
Established since 1984
The ISS officially received approval from President Reagan. Its budget was approved by the US Congress in 1984.
At that time, NASA Administrator James Beggs immediately looked for international partners willing to collaborate on the program. Citizens of Canada, Japan, and many countries of the European Space Agency began participating in the program soon after.
The station was designed between 1984 and 1993. Station Elements were built throughout the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe starting in the late 1980s.
In 1993, when the Station was undergoing redesign, the Russian side was invited to participate.
2023-11-15 03:10:00
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