The International Space Station (ISS) orbits at approximately 220 miles (350 km) above the Earth and it travels at an average speed of 17,227 miles (27,724 km) per hour. The ISS makes multiple orbits around the Earth every day. To us on Earth, the space station looks like a bright star moving quickly above the horizon. Then, just as suddenly as it appears, it disappears. Karthik Easvur in Hyderabad, India caught it on November 22, 2017, using a Gopro hero5 camera in timelapse mode.
This month marks 17 years of humans living and working continuously aboard ISS. The current crew – Expedition 53 – began in September 2017 and ends next month. It consists of six crew members, whose official portrait is below.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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