About Infoplease, Part of FEN Learning. Footer last column. RSS; Contact; Advertise with Infoplease; Terms of Use* Privacy** Site Map; Partnerships; Disclaimer *
Most of the time, the International Space Station (ISS) is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of approximately 220 miles (354 km), which places it in low Earth orbit (LEO). This distance can change, however, and has varied from 205 miles (330 km) to a planned maximum of 248 miles (400 km).
Despite being relatively close, the ISS is traveling at more than 17,000 miles per hour in a circular orbit around Earth. Anything moving that fast, whether in space or on the ground, is going to be hard to catch. As it turns out, the way you catch the ISS is counterintuitive: You actually let it catch you.