Space Tools

What is a spectrometer?
How do we get information from spacecraft?
When was the first radio telescope built?
Where is the largest optical telescope in the world?
When did the first robot rover go to Mars?

What is a space probe?
How far can the Hubble Space Telescope see?
Why do we put telescopes in space?
How fast does the Space Station travel?
What is the International Space Station?

How fast does the Space Station travel?

The International Space Station travels in orbit around Earth at a speed of roughly 17,150 miles per hour (that's about 5 miles per second!). This means that the Space Station orbits Earth (and sees a sunrise) once every 92 minutes! You can see the ISS' location and speed at this link which also has a real-time video feed from cameras attached to the outside of the station.