ISS (ZARYA)
The International Space Station is the largest object humans have ever placed in orbit, about the size of a football pitch. It circles Earth roughly every 90 minutes at an altitude near 420 km, fast enough to see 16 sunrises a day. A rotating international crew has lived aboard it continuously since November 2000.
Orbital data
- NORAD ID
- 25544
- COSPAR ID
- 1998-067A
- Type
- Space Station
- Orbit
- LEO
- Perigee (lowest)
- 420 km
- Apogee (highest)
- 430 km
- Inclination
- 51.63°
- Orbital period
- 93 min
- Launch year
- 1998
- Operator
- ISS
Orbital data from CelesTrak, refreshed every 2 hours. Element epoch: 2026-06-05.
About LEO orbit
Low Earth Orbit. Up to 2,000 km altitude. Where most satellites live including the ISS (~420 km), Starlink (~550 km), and Earth observation. Orbital period roughly 90 minutes.
Frequently asked
Can I see the ISS from my backyard?
Yes. The ISS is one of the brightest objects in the night sky and is easily visible to the naked eye when it passes overhead shortly after sunset or before sunrise. It looks like a bright, steadily moving star with no blinking lights. Set your location in the tracker to see your next visible pass.
How fast does the ISS travel?
About 28,000 km/h (17,500 mph), completing one orbit of Earth roughly every 90 minutes.
How high is the ISS?
It orbits at roughly 400 to 420 km altitude, in low Earth orbit. Its altitude slowly decays due to atmospheric drag and is periodically boosted back up.
Related satellites
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