International Space StationWhere Is the ISS Right Now?
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Live View from the ISS
How to See the ISS Tonight
Quick Start
The ISS is visible to the naked eye as a bright, steady, non-blinking light moving smoothly across the sky. It's the third-brightest object in the night sky — brighter than any star and, on its best passes, brighter than Venus.
When to look: The best time is during the 1–2 hours after sunset or before sunrise, when the sky is dark but the station is still illuminated by the Sun. A typical pass lasts 2–6 minutes.
What to look for: A bright white light moving steadily from west to east across the sky. It does not blink or flash — if it blinks, it's an aircraft. The ISS may fade and disappear mid-pass as it enters Earth's shadow.
Use the pass predictor below to find the next visible pass for your exact location, including direction, elevation, brightness, and a sky arc diagram showing its path. You can also set up push alerts to be notified before each pass. For detailed tips, see our full ISS viewing guide.
When Can I See the ISS?
Was That the ISS?
Saw a bright light in the sky recently? Pick when you saw it and we'll check if the ISS was overhead.
Current Expedition
Current ISS Crew
ISS Specifications
How Big Is the ISS?
The ISS measures 109 metres end-to-end — roughly the size of a football pitch. To put that in perspective:
With a mass of 420,000 kg and a pressurised volume of 916 m³, the ISS is the largest human-made structure ever placed in orbit.
Latest from Orbit
ISS by the Numbers
How Fast Is the ISS?
The ISS travels at 7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h) — fast enough to circle the entire Earth in just 92 minutes. To put that in perspective:
At ISS speed, you could fly from London to New York in 12 minutes, or from London to Sydney in 39 minutes.
Current ISS Altitude
The International Space Station currently orbits at approximately 410–420 km above Earth's surface in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The exact altitude varies between ~410 km (perigee) and ~420 km (apogee) due to the slightly elliptical orbit. Atmospheric drag continuously lowers the station's altitude by roughly 50–100 metres per day, and periodic reboosts from visiting spacecraft or the station's own thrusters restore it.
Orbit History & Reboosts
The ISS has maintained its orbit at roughly 400–420 km since the early 2000s, though the target altitude has been adjusted several times. In the early years, the station orbited lower (~350 km) and was gradually raised as modules were added. Since about 2011, the nominal altitude has been 410–420 km — a balance between minimising fuel costs for visiting spacecraft and reducing atmospheric drag.
Atmospheric drag at LEO altitudes is significant: the ISS loses approximately 50–100 metres of altitude per day under normal space weather conditions. During periods of high solar activity (such as geomagnetic storms), the upper atmosphere heats and expands, increasing drag and causing the station to lose altitude faster — sometimes several kilometres in a single storm. This is the same effect that destroyed 40 Starlink satellites in February 2022.
To counteract drag, the station receives periodic reboost manoeuvres — typically 6–12 per year — using the engines of docked Progress cargo ships, Cygnus spacecraft, or the station's own thrusters. Each reboost raises the orbit by a few kilometres. The station must also perform debris avoidance manoeuvres (typically 2–3 per year) when tracked space debris is predicted to pass dangerously close. Learn more about orbital decay and how it affects all objects in Low Earth Orbit.
ISS vs Other Space Stations
| Station | Operator | Orbit (km) | Mass | Crew | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISS | NASA / Roscosmos / ESA / JAXA / CSA | ~420 | 420,000 kg | 6–7 | Active (operational to ~2030) |
| Tiangong | CMSA (China) | ~390 | ~100,000 kg | 3–6 | Active (completed 2022) |
| Axiom Station | Axiom Space (US) | ~400 | TBD | TBD | Modules attaching to ISS from 2026; free-flying post-2030 |
| Orbital Reef | Blue Origin / Sierra Space | ~500 | TBD | Up to 10 | In development; target late 2020s |
| Starlab | Voyager Space / Airbus | ~400 | TBD | 4 | In development; target 2028 |
The ISS remains the largest and most capable space station ever built. Its retirement around 2030–2031 will be followed by a transition to commercial stations under NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program. Track the ISS and Tiangong simultaneously on the Orbital Radar 3D globe.
ISS Decommission Countdown
NASA plans to deorbit the ISS around 2030–2031 using a purpose-built deorbit vehicle developed by SpaceX. The station will perform a controlled re-entry over the uninhabited South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area (SPOUA), also known as Point Nemo. This will be the largest object ever deorbited.
Commercial replacements are in development under NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, including Axiom Station, Orbital Reef (Blue Origin / Sierra Space), and Starlab (Voyager Space / Airbus). Continuous human presence in LEO is expected to continue unbroken.
About the International Space Station
The International Space Station is a modular space station in Low Earth Orbit, jointly operated by NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It is the largest artificial object in orbit and the largest crewed spacecraft ever constructed, visible to the naked eye from Earth as a bright, steady light moving across the night sky.
The first module, Zarya, was launched on 20 November 1998 aboard a Proton-K rocket. Since Expedition 1 in November 2000, the ISS has been continuously occupied for over 25 years — the longest continuous human presence in space. It has hosted over 270 visitors from 21 countries and supported thousands of scientific experiments. See our full ISS profile and complete modules guide for more.
The station orbits at approximately 410–420 km with an inclination of 51.64°, completing one orbit every 92 minutes at 7.66 km/s. The crew experiences 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. The ISS is the third-brightest object in the night sky, reaching magnitude −3 to −5 during favourable passes. You can also track Starlink satellites and other bright objects with Orbital Radar.
Its inclination means the ISS passes over roughly 90% of Earth's population. Most people can see it several times per week with the naked eye under the right conditions. For tips, see our guide on how to see the ISS tonight, or learn how to photograph it. You can identify the ISS and other moving lights in the night sky with our sky identification tool.