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Space, GPS & MapsSpaceflight

Sixteen Sunrises a Day

The space station circles Earth every 90 minutes

Sixteen times a day, the Sun rises on a crew that never feels its home move. How fast must they be going?

You'll find out

  • How fast the space station really flies
  • Why the crew floats despite gravity
  • How you sleep with 16 dawns a day

Why it matters

The rule that keeps the station up runs every satellite you use, from GPS to TV: height sets the speed.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 67 · Zone 8

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