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Orbital position
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The International Space Station travels at 28,000 km/h: it goes around Earth in about 92 minutes!
The International Space Station keeps falling around Earth without reaching the ground. The station and the astronauts fall together, so they feel as if they float.
Imagine an elevator falling at the same time as you: your feet would no longer press against the floor.
The ISS is a laboratory travelling around Earth.
It makes one trip around Earth in about 90 minutes.
Astronauts float because they are always in free fall.
The ISS is about 400 km above Earth and travels close to 28,000 km/h. Gravity is still strong there, but the station moves fast enough to keep missing the ground.
Follow the ISS position and find which continent it is above right now.
Answer two questions about the lesson to stamp your passport.
Question 1 of 2
Astronauts see the Sun rise and set about 16 times a day!
On the ISS, about 98% of the water (even urine!) is recycled. Every drop counts!
You can see the ISS from Earth with the naked eye. It can shine almost as brightly as Venus!
More than 3,000 science experiments have been carried out on board since 2000.