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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).
The International Space Station (ISS) is the most complex international scientific and engineering project in history and the largest structure humans have ever put into space.he ISS AstroViewer website tracks the orbit of the space station in real time. Five different space agencies representing 15 countries built the $100-billion International Space Station and continue to operate it today.