It takes the International Space Station (ISS) about 90 minutes to orbit the earth, meaning that it makes the journey around the planet about 16 times each day. As of July 2012, the ISS had traveled more than 1.75 billion miles (2.8 billion km). The voyage from Earth to the ISS takes about two days, partly because of the time that it takes to inspect a space shuttle prior to letting it dock onto the ISS.
More about the International Space Station:
- The International Space Station's orbiting speed is 17,239 miles per hour (27,743 km/h).
- Several websites allow viewers to track the International Space Station's orbit.
- Crews have occupied the ISS continuously since 2 November 2000.