Where is the International Space Station right now?
The ISS orbits Earth roughly every 90 minutes at about 400km up, traveling fast enough to circle the planet 16 times a day. Track its real position, speed, and crew below — updated live.
Who's on board right now
Live roster of everyone currently in space aboard the ISS.
Fast facts
The ISS is one of the largest human-made objects ever put in orbit.
Roughly the size of a football field
Its solar arrays span about 109 meters end to end — comparable to an American football field.
16 sunrises a day
Because it circles Earth every ~90 minutes, the crew sees a sunrise or sunset roughly every 45 minutes.
Built in orbit, piece by piece
Assembled from more than 40 modules launched separately and connected in space since 1998.
A truly international crew
Operated in partnership by NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA, hosting astronauts from many nations.
Powered entirely by sunlight
Its solar arrays generate up to 120 kilowatts — enough to power dozens of homes.
Sometimes visible with the naked eye
At the right time, it's bright enough to see from the ground without a telescope — check a pass-time app for your location.
Go deeper
Read Univerpedia's full explanation of orbital mechanics, microgravity, and how stations like the ISS stay up.
OPEN UNIVERPEDIA.COM → ◇ Companies building the next space stationsAxiom Space, Sierra Space, and others are building what comes after the ISS — explore their profiles.
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