In order to understand why some combinations of alkyl halides and nucleophiles give a substitution reaction, whereas other combinations give elimination, and still others give no observable reaction, we must investigate systematically the way in which changes in reaction variables perturb the course of the reaction.
It's true - the ISS moves at about 17,000 mph (~28,000 kph). Now for your other questions: 1. When it's not using its onboard engines to adjust its orbit, the station is in free-fall*. This means that gravitational interaction with the earth maintains the station's orbit, and thus its speed.
1 1 light-year is 5.8 trillion miles and the maximum speed of a NASA Space Shuttle is 17,500 miles per hour. 2  The fastest unmanned space craft traveled 157,000 mph. 3  At that rate, there and back would take only 8,500 earth years. 4  So if you were a Mesopotamian farmer in 6,500 BC, you'd be getting home right about now.