Distance to the ISS from the earth in kilometers. What is the altitude of the ISS orbit? Orbit of the ISS around the Earth. The structure and dimensions of the international space station

Webcam at the International Space Station

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ibuki(Japanese: いぶき Ibuki, Breathing) is an Earth remote sensing satellite, the world's first spacecraft whose task is to monitor greenhouse gases. The satellite is also known as The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (“Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Satellite”), abbreviated as GOSAT. "Ibuki" is equipped with infrared sensors that determine the density of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. In total, seven different scientific instruments are installed on the satellite. Ibuki was developed by the Japanese space agency JAXA and launched on January 23, 2009 from Tanegashima. The launch was carried out using a Japanese H-IIA launch vehicle.

Video broadcast life on the space station includes an internal view of the module, in the case when the astronauts are on duty. The video is accompanied by a live sound of negotiations between the ISS and MCC. Television is only available when the ISS is in contact with the ground on a high speed link. When the signal is lost, viewers can see a test image or a graphical map of the world, which shows the location of the station in orbit in real time. Because the ISS orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, sunrise or sunset occurs every 45 minutes. When the ISS is in the dark, the outer cameras can display blackness, but can also show a breathtaking view of the city lights below.

international space station, abbr. The ISS (English International Space Station, abbr. ISS) is a manned orbital station used as a multi-purpose space research complex. The ISS is a joint international project involving 15 countries: Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, USA, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan. Space Flight Control Center in Korolev, the American segment - from the Mission Control Center in Houston. There is a daily exchange of information between the Centers.

Means of communication
The transmission of telemetry and the exchange of scientific data between the station and the Mission Control Center is carried out using radio communications. In addition, radio communications are used during rendezvous and docking operations, they are used for audio and video communication between crew members and with flight control specialists on Earth, as well as relatives and friends of astronauts. Thus, the ISS is equipped with internal and external multipurpose communication systems.
The Russian Segment of the ISS communicates directly with the Earth using the Lira radio antenna installed on the Zvezda module. "Lira" makes it possible to use the satellite data relay system "Luch". This system was used to communicate with the Mir station, but in the 1990s it fell into disrepair and is currently not used. Luch-5A was launched in 2012 to restore the system's operability. At the beginning of 2013, it is planned to install specialized subscriber equipment on the Russian segment of the station, after which it will become one of the main subscribers of the Luch-5A satellite. Launches of 3 more satellites Luch-5B, Luch-5V and Luch-4 are also expected.
Another Russian communication system, Voskhod-M, provides telephone communication between the Zvezda, Zarya, Pirs, Poisk modules and the American segment, as well as VHF radio communication with ground control centers using external antennas. module "Star".
In the US segment, for communication in the S-band (audio transmission) and Ku-band (audio, video, data transmission), two separate systems are used, located on the Z1 truss. Radio signals from these systems are transmitted to the American geostationary TDRSS satellites, which allows you to maintain almost continuous contact with the mission control center in Houston. Data from Canadarm2, the European Columbus module and the Japanese Kibo are redirected through these two communication systems, but the American TDRSS data transmission system will eventually be supplemented by the European satellite system (EDRS) and a similar Japanese one. Communication between the modules is carried out via an internal digital wireless network.
During spacewalks, cosmonauts use a VHF transmitter of the decimeter range. VHF radio communications are also used during docking or undocking by the Soyuz, Progress, HTV, ATV and Space Shuttle spacecraft (although the shuttles also use S- and Ku-band transmitters via TDRSS). With its help, these spacecraft receive commands from the mission control center or from members of the ISS crew. Automatic spacecraft are equipped with their own means of communication. Thus, ATV ships use a specialized Proximity Communication Equipment (PCE) system during rendezvous and docking, the equipment of which is located on the ATV and on the Zvezda module. Communication is via two completely independent S-band radio channels. PCE begins to function starting from relative ranges of about 30 kilometers, and turns off after the ATV docks to the ISS and switches to interaction via the MIL-STD-1553 onboard bus. To accurately determine the relative position of the ATV and the ISS, a system of laser rangefinders installed on the ATV is used, making accurate docking with the station possible.
The station is equipped with about a hundred ThinkPad laptop computers from IBM and Lenovo, models A31 and T61P. These are ordinary serial computers, which, however, have been modified for use in the ISS conditions, in particular, they have redesigned connectors, a cooling system, take into account the 28 Volt voltage used at the station, and also meet the safety requirements for working in zero gravity. Since January 2010, direct Internet access has been organized at the station for the American segment. Computers aboard the ISS are connected via Wi-Fi into a wireless network and are connected to the Earth at a speed of 3 Mbps for upload and 10 Mbps for download, which is comparable to a home ADSL connection.

Orbit altitude
The height of the ISS orbit is constantly changing. Due to the remnants of the atmosphere, gradual deceleration and a decrease in altitude occur. All incoming ships help raise altitude with their engines. At one time they were limited to compensating for the decline. Recently, the height of the orbit has been steadily increasing. Feb 10, 2011 — The flight altitude of the International Space Station was about 353 kilometers above sea level. June 15, 2011 increased by 10.2 kilometers and amounted to 374.7 kilometers. On June 29, 2011, the orbit height was 384.7 kilometers. In order to reduce the influence of the atmosphere to a minimum, the station had to be raised to 390-400 km, but American shuttles could not rise to such a height. Therefore, the station was kept at altitudes of 330-350 km by periodic correction by engines. Due to the end of the shuttle flight program, this restriction has been lifted.

Timezone
The ISS uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is almost exactly the same distance from the times of the two control centers in Houston and Korolev. Every 16 sunrises/sunsets, the station's windows are closed to create the illusion of a dark night. The crew usually wakes up at 7 am (UTC), the crew usually works around 10 hours every weekday and around five hours every Saturday. During shuttle visits, the ISS crew usually follows the Mission Elapsed Time (MET) - the total flight time of the shuttle, which is not tied to a specific time zone, but is calculated solely from the start time of the space shuttle. The ISS crew shifts their sleep time in advance before the arrival of the shuttle and returns to the previous mode after its departure.

Atmosphere
The station maintains an atmosphere close to Earth. Normal atmospheric pressure on the ISS is 101.3 kilopascals, the same as at sea level on Earth. The atmosphere on the ISS does not coincide with the atmosphere maintained in the shuttles, so after the docking of the space shuttle, the pressures and composition of the gas mixture on both sides of the airlock are equalized. From about 1999 to 2004, NASA existed and developed the IHM (Inflatable Habitation Module) project, in which it was planned to use atmospheric pressure at the station to deploy and create a working volume of an additional habitable module. The body of this module was supposed to be made of Kevlar fabric with a sealed inner shell of gas-tight synthetic rubber. However, in 2005, due to the unresolved majority of the problems posed in the project (in particular, the problem of protection from space debris), the IHM program was closed.

microgravity
The attraction of the Earth at the height of the station's orbit is 90% of the attraction at sea level. The state of weightlessness is due to the constant free fall of the ISS, which, according to the principle of equivalence, is equivalent to the absence of attraction. The station environment is often described as microgravity due to four effects:

Retarding pressure of the residual atmosphere.

Vibrational accelerations due to the operation of mechanisms and movement of the station crew.

Orbit correction.

The inhomogeneity of the Earth's gravitational field leads to the fact that different parts of the ISS are attracted to the Earth with different strengths.

All these factors create accelerations reaching values of 10-3…10-1 g.

ISS surveillance
The size of the station is sufficient for its observation with the naked eye from the surface of the Earth. The ISS is observed as a fairly bright star, moving fairly quickly across the sky approximately from west to east (the angular velocity is about 1 degree per second.) Depending on the point of observation, the maximum value of its magnitude can take on a value from? 4 to 0. European cosmic The agency, together with the site "www.heavens-above.com", provides an opportunity for everyone to find out the schedule of ISS flights over a certain settlement on the planet. By going to the page of the site dedicated to the ISS, and entering the name of the city of interest in Latin, you can get the exact time and a graphic image of the station's flight path above it for the coming days. You can also view the flight schedule at www.amsat.org. The flight path of the ISS in real time can be seen on the website of the Federal Space Agency. You can also use the program "Heavensat" (or "Orbitron").

April 12 is Cosmonautics Day. And of course, it would be wrong to bypass this holiday. Moreover, this year the date will be special, 50 years since the first manned flight into space. It was on April 12, 1961 that Yuri Gagarin accomplished his historic feat.

Well, a man in space cannot do without grandiose superstructures. This is exactly what the International Space Station is.

The dimensions of the ISS are small; length - 51 meters, width together with trusses - 109 meters, height - 20 meters, weight - 417.3 tons. But I think everyone understands that the uniqueness of this superstructure is not in its size, but in the technologies used to operate the station in outer space. The height of the ISS orbit is 337-351 km above the earth. Orbital speed - 27700 km / h. This allows the station to make a complete revolution around our planet in 92 minutes. That is, every day the astronauts who are on the ISS meet 16 sunrises and sunsets, 16 times night follows day. Now the ISS crew consists of 6 people, but in general, during the entire period of operation, the station received 297 visitors (196 different people). The start of operation of the International Space Station is November 20, 1998. And at the moment (04/09/2011) the station has been in orbit for 4523 days. During this time, it has evolved quite a lot. I suggest you verify this by looking at the photo.

ISS, 1999.

ISS, 2000.

ISS, 2002.

ISS, 2005.

ISS, 2006.

ISS, 2009.

ISS, March 2011.

Below I will give a diagram of the station, from which you can find out the names of the modules and also see the docking points of the ISS with other spacecraft.

The ISS is an international project. 23 states participate in it: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg(!!!), Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, USA, Finland, France, Czech Republic , Switzerland, Sweden, Japan. After all, to financially overpower the construction and maintenance of the functionality of the International Space Station alone is beyond the power of any state. It is not possible to calculate the exact or even approximate costs for the construction and operation of the ISS. The official figure has already exceeded 100 billion US dollars, and if you add all the side costs here, you get about 150 billion US dollars. This is already making the International Space Station the most expensive project throughout the history of mankind. And based on the latest agreements between Russia, the United States and Japan (Europe, Brazil and Canada are still in thought) that the life of the ISS has been extended until at least 2020 (and possibly a further extension), the total cost of maintaining the station will increase even more.

But I propose to digress from the numbers. After all, in addition to scientific value, the ISS has other advantages. Namely, the opportunity to appreciate the pristine beauty of our planet from the height of the orbit. And it is not necessary for this to go into outer space.

Because the station has its own observation deck, the glazed Dome module.

Well, a man in space cannot do without grandiose superstructures. This is exactly what the International Space Station is.

ISS, 1999.

ISS, 2000.

ISS, 2002.

ISS, 2005.

ISS, 2006.

ISS, 2009.

ISS, March 2011.

Below I will give a diagram of the station, from which you can find out the names of the modules and also see the docking points of the ISS with other spacecraft.

Because the station has its own observation deck, the glazed Dome module.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a large-scale and, perhaps, the most complex in terms of its organization implemented technical project in the history of mankind. Every day, hundreds of specialists around the world are working to ensure that the ISS can fully fulfill its main function - to be a scientific platform for studying the boundless outer space and, of course, our planet.

When you watch news about the ISS, many questions arise regarding how a space station can generally operate in extreme space conditions, how it flies in orbit and does not fall, how people can live in it without suffering from high temperatures and solar radiation.

After studying this topic and collecting all the information in a heap, I must admit, instead of answers, I received even more questions.

At what altitude does the ISS fly?

The ISS flies in the thermosphere at an altitude of approximately 400 km from the Earth (for information, the distance from the Earth to the Moon is approximately 370,000 km). The thermosphere itself is an atmospheric layer, which, in fact, is not quite space yet. This layer extends from the Earth for a distance of 80 km to 800 km.

The peculiarity of the thermosphere is that the temperature rises with height and at the same time can fluctuate significantly. Above 500 km, the level of solar radiation increases, which can easily disable equipment and adversely affect the health of astronauts. Therefore, the ISS does not rise above 400 km.

This is what the ISS looks like from Earth

What is the temperature outside the ISS?

There is very little information on this subject. Different sources say different things. It is said that at the level of 150 km the temperature can reach 220-240°, and at the level of 200 km more than 500°. Above, the temperature continues to rise, and at the level of 500-600 km it already supposedly exceeds 1500°.

According to the astronauts themselves, at an altitude of 400 km, at which the ISS flies, the temperature is constantly changing depending on the light and shade conditions. When the ISS is in the shade, the temperature outside drops to -150°, and if it is in direct sunlight, the temperature rises to +150°. And it's not even a steam room in the bath! How can astronauts be in outer space at such a temperature? Is it possible that a super thermal suit saves them?

Astronaut work in open space at +150°

What is the temperature inside the ISS?

In contrast to the temperature outside, inside the ISS, it is possible to maintain a stable temperature suitable for human life - approximately +23°. And how this is done is completely incomprehensible. If it's +150° outside, for example, how do you manage to cool the temperature inside the station, or vice versa, and constantly keep it normal?

How does radiation affect astronauts in the ISS?

At an altitude of 400 km, the radiation background is hundreds of times higher than the earth's. Therefore, astronauts on the ISS, when they find themselves on the sunny side, receive radiation levels that are several times higher than the dose obtained, for example, from a chest x-ray. And in moments of powerful flares on the Sun, station workers can grab a dose that is 50 times higher than the norm. How they manage to work in such conditions for a long time also remains a mystery.

How does space dust and debris affect the ISS?

According to NASA, there are about 500,000 large debris in near-Earth orbit (parts of spent stages or other parts of spacecraft and rockets) and it is still unknown how much of this small debris. All this "good" revolves around the Earth at a speed of 28 thousand km / h and for some reason is not attracted to the Earth.

In addition, there is cosmic dust - these are all kinds of meteorite fragments or micrometeorites, which are constantly attracted by the planet. Moreover, even if a speck of dust weighs only 1 gram, it turns into an armor-piercing projectile capable of making holes in the station.

They say that if such objects approach the ISS, the astronauts change the course of the station. But small debris or dust cannot be traced, so it turns out that the ISS is constantly in great danger. How the astronauts cope with this is again unclear. It turns out that every day they risk their lives a lot.

The hole in the shuttle Endeavor STS-118 from falling space debris looks like a bullet hole

Why doesn't the ISS crash?

Various sources write that the ISS does not fall due to the weak gravity of the Earth and the space velocity of the station. That is, revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.6 km/s (for information - the period of revolution of the ISS around the Earth is only 92 minutes 37 seconds), the ISS, as it were, constantly misses and does not fall. In addition, the ISS has engines that allow you to constantly adjust the position of the 400-ton colossus.

The ISS is the successor to the MIR station, the largest and most expensive object in the history of mankind.

What is the size of the orbital station? How much does it cost? How do astronauts live and work on it?

We will talk about this in this article.

What is the ISS and who owns it

The International Space Station (MKS) is an orbital station used as a multipurpose space complex.

This is a scientific project in which 14 countries take part:

The Russian Federation;
United States of America;
France;
Germany;
Belgium;
Japan;
Canada;
Sweden;
Spain;
Netherlands;
Switzerland;
Denmark;
Norway;
Italy.

In 1998, the creation of the ISS began. Then the first module of the Russian Proton-K rocket was launched. Subsequently, other participating countries began to deliver other modules to the station.

Note: in English, the ISS is written as ISS (decoding: International Space Station).

There are people who are convinced that the ISS does not exist, and all space flights are filmed on Earth. However, the reality of the manned station was proven, and the theory of deception was completely refuted by scientists.

The structure and dimensions of the international space station

The ISS is a huge laboratory designed to study our planet. At the same time, the station is home to the astronauts working in it.

The station is 109 meters long, 73.15 meters wide and 27.4 meters high. The total weight of the ISS is 417,289 kg.

How much does an orbital station cost

The cost of the object is estimated at 150 billion dollars. This is by far the most expensive development in human history.

Orbit height and flight speed of the ISS

The average altitude at which the station is located is 384.7 km.

The speed is 27,700 km/h. The station performs a complete revolution around the Earth in 92 minutes.

Time at the station and crew working hours

The station operates according to London time, the working day for the astronauts begins at 6 am. At this time, each crew establishes contact with their country.

Crew reports can be listened to online. The working day ends at 19 pm London time .

Flight path

The station moves around the planet along a certain trajectory. There is a special map that shows which section of the path the ship is passing at a given time. This map also shows different parameters - time, speed, altitude, latitude and longitude.

Why doesn't the ISS fall to Earth? In fact, the object falls to the Earth, but misses, as it constantly moves at a certain speed. It is required to regularly raise the trajectory. As soon as the station loses some of its speed, it gets closer and closer to the Earth.

What is the temperature outside the ISS

The temperature is constantly changing and directly depends on the light and shade environment. In the shade, it stays at about -150 degrees Celsius.

If the station is located under the influence of direct sunlight, then the temperature overboard is +150 degrees Celsius.

Temperature inside the station

Despite fluctuations overboard, the average temperature inside the ship is 23 - 27 degrees Celsius and completely suitable for human habitation.

Astronauts sleep, eat, play sports, work and rest at the end of the working day - the conditions are close to the most comfortable for being on the ISS.

What do astronauts on the ISS breathe?

The primary task in creating the ship was to provide the astronauts with the conditions necessary to maintain proper breathing. Oxygen is obtained from water.

A special system called "Air" takes carbon dioxide and throws it overboard. Oxygen is replenished by electrolysis of water. The station also has oxygen tanks.

How long is the flight from the spaceport to the ISS

In terms of flight time, it takes a little more than 2 days. There is also a short 6-hour scheme (but it is not suitable for cargo ships).

The distance from Earth to the ISS is between 413 and 429 kilometers.

Life on the ISS - what astronauts do

Each crew conducts scientific experiments commissioned by the research institutes of their country.

There are several types of such studies:

educational;
technical;
environmental;
biotechnology;
biomedical;
study of living and working conditions in orbit;
exploration of space and planet Earth;
physical and chemical processes in space;
exploration of the solar system and others.

Who is on the ISS now

At the moment, the composition continues to keep watch in orbit: Russian cosmonaut Sergei Prokopiev, Serena Auñón-Chancellor from the USA and Alexander Gerst from Germany.

The next launch was scheduled from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on October 11, but due to an accident, the flight did not take place. At the moment, it is not yet known which of the astronauts will fly to the ISS and when.

How to get in touch with the ISS

In fact, anyone has a chance to contact the international space station. This will require special equipment:

transceiver;
antenna (for the frequency range of 145 MHz);
rotary device;
a computer that will calculate the orbit of the ISS.

Today, every astronaut has high-speed Internet. Most specialists contact friends and family via Skype, maintain personal pages on Instagram and Twitter, Facebook, where they post stunningly beautiful photos of our green planet.

How many times does the ISS circle the Earth in a day

The speed of rotation of the ship around our planet - 16 times a day. This means that in one day the astronauts can meet the sunrise 16 times and watch the sunset 16 times.

The rotation speed of the ISS is 27,700 km/h. This speed does not allow the station to fall to Earth.

Where is the ISS at the moment and how to see it from Earth

Many are interested in the question: is it possible to see the ship with the naked eye? Thanks to its constant orbit and large size, anyone can see the ISS.

You can see the ship in the sky both day and night, but it is recommended to do it at night.

In order to find out the time of flight over your city, you need to subscribe to the NASA newsletter. You can monitor the movement of the station in real time thanks to the special Twisst service.

Conclusion

If you see a bright object in the sky, it is not always a meteorite, comet or star. Knowing how to distinguish the ISS with the naked eye, you definitely can't go wrong with a celestial body.

You can learn more about the ISS news, see the movement of the object on the official website: http://mks-online.ru.