Mind-blowing animation shows the speed of the International Space Station
The speed of the International Space Station (ISS) has been recorded with an amazing animation.
The YouTube video, by Airplane Mode, notes that the ISS has an average speed of 17,150 mph (27,600 kmh) and lets users visualise the speed from Earth by showing the ISS orbiting at 10,000 feet.
Using Microsoft Flight Simulator, the animation shows the ISS go by in a flash from the perspective of us seeing it from Earth.
However, it gets interesting when viewers can also witness the speed from the ISS's perspective and the view it has below.
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According to Airplane Mode, it takes 90 minutes for the ISS to orbit the Earth at that speed.
Viewers can observe the ISS zooming over various landscapes including snow-capped mountains, open farmland, the Golden Gate Bridge, and New York City.
Viewers are amazed at the animation, with one YouTube user jokingly commenting: 'We should all be thankful for the bravery of the astronauts who daringly flew the ISS at such a low altitude just to give us this amazing footage.'
Others joked about giving the cameraman credit for keeping up with the speed of the ISS.
Another wrote: 'In space theres nothing around you to truly show you how fast you are travelling, this is a good representation lol.'
The ISS routinely conducts a flyby all over the world as it orbits us on Earth.
Although the craft is usually spotted in space, there are times when it flies at lower altitudes and it can be seen from Earth. As it reflects light, it's easier for the ISS to be spotted during evening and night times rather than midday.
In being lucky enough to spot the ISS, one user explained that by using the ISS Tracker App and watching the ISS fly by at its actual altitude, 'it's truly amazing how quickly it gets in and out of your view.
'A good direct overhead fly by only lasts a few short minutes from appearing to disappearing, and in the app you can see how much land it covers in that time span.'
Others have reported that that the nighttime viewing of the ISS is an 'amazing sight' as it travels from 'horizon to horizon'.
According to NASA, in 24 hours, the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth, traveling through 16 sunrises and sunsets.
Since its launch in November 1998, the ISS has orbited Earth over 140,000 times as of August 2023.