ISS Simulation Shows 17,150 mph Speed, Circling Earth in 90 Minutes
Updated
Updated · Supercar Blondie · Jul 16
ISS Simulation Shows 17,150 mph Speed, Circling Earth in 90 Minutes
1 articles · Updated · Supercar Blondie · Jul 16
Summary
A new ground-level simulation visualizes the International Space Station racing at 17,150 mph, making its orbital speed far easier to grasp than when it appears nearly stationary overhead.
At that pace, the ISS would circle Earth in about 90 minutes; the model places it roughly 10,000 feet above the ground to show how quickly it would streak past.
Viewer reactions centered on how the clip reframed familiar benchmarks, with commenters saying it highlighted just how slow sound seems by comparison and how remarkable human-made orbital flight is.
The visualization adds perspective to a station that has been continuously inhabited since November 2000, after assembly began with Russia's Zarya module in 1998.