- A new photo released by NASA shows the International Space Station in transit in front of the Sun’s disk.
- The image captures the space station as it travels at nearly five miles per second as it runs around Earth.
- The ISS completes approximately 16 Earth orbits every day.
The International Space Station is an incredible machine where some of the brightest minds on the planet conduct science and ensure that humanity has a constant presence in space. Still, sometimes it’s easy to forget that at all times, the spacecraft is circling the globe and its human inhabitants live their lives in microgravity while trying to do some very important work. NASA likes to remind us that they are there as often as possible, and NASA photographer Joel Kowsky came up with a fantastic way to do just that.
In a new image published by NASA, we are delighted with six individual photographs grouped into one. The six-frame image shows the Sun, our beloved life-giving star, and the International Space Station as it orbits overhead.
In the image, we can clearly see the International Space Station as it moves through the disk of the Sun. If we did not know that it is up there, we might think that we are seeing an extraterrestrial spacecraft that monitors Earth, but, unfortunately, they are only the five scientists who navigate at a dizzying speed of almost five miles per second.
NASA offers some context:
This composite image, made of six frames, shows the International Space Station, with a crew of five on board, in silhouette as it transits the Sun at approximately five miles per second, on Wednesday June 24, 2020, from Fredericksburg, Virginia. On board are NASA Expedition 63 astronauts Chris Cassidy, Douglas Hurley, Robert Behnken, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
Astronauts aboard the ISS don’t feel how fast they are going, but the speed is pretty incredible. In fact, the International Space Station can complete one Earth orbit in approximately 90 minutes and complete approximately 16 trips around Earth every day. That’s over a dozen sunrises and sunsets, which has to be a bit disorienting when you’re trying to keep track of the days. Most of us will never experience what that is like, but they somehow make it work and continue to conduct groundbreaking research as it flies overhead.
Currently, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is docked on the ISS, as it recently docked to bring NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken to the spacecraft. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has worked well so far, but has not yet obtained NASA certification. After the astronauts return to Earth aboard the spacecraft, assuming all goes well and they return safe and sound, NASA will issue the official seal of approval, allowing the space agency to use the Crew Dragon spacecraft to send astronauts into space whenever you want.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, handheld devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as technical editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared on USA Today, Time.com, and countless other websites and in print. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
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