How far from the Earth is the International Space Station?
The International Space Station is approximately 220 miles (354 km) from earth at any given time. The distance may change slightly due to drag from the atmosphere, but mainly, the International Space Station orbits the earth at this distance. The relatively close distance, about the same as four and a half hours of travel on a highway, makes it possible for the continued assembly of parts of the Space Station. The Space Station completely orbits the earth in about 92 minutes. That is approximately 5700 trips around the earth per year. So from the time of launching in November 1998 to November 2006, the Space Station had circled the Earth over 40,000 times. Since the launch of the first section of the Space Station, a cargo block and a proton rocket, there have been numerous expeditions to the Space Station. By 2006, 14 missions had been attempted in order to continue assembly. Projected completion of the Space Station is 2010. As of 2006 three astronauts, or cosmonauts, have staffed th
