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How fast does the ISS orbit earth?

Updated: 9/15/2023
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10y ago

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every 92. mins.

92 mins is the time it takes to complete one full orbit. The Orbital speed is calculated using the ISS's centripetal acceleration. The ISS orbits earth at approx. 400 km about the surface of the earth. at a radius of approx. 6.771x10^6 meters. The force the ISS experiences at that altitude is approx. 8.69 m/s^2 (a=GM/r^2), about 12% less force than 9.8m/s^2 experienced on the earths surface. Not too much difference; the only thing keeping it from falling is it's horizontal or orbit velocity. At 8.69 m/s^2, and if a=v^2/r (its centripetal acceleration, orbit velocity, and radius of orbit), The ISS's orbit velocity is 7670.7 m/s or 7.67 km/s. That is ridiculously fast; approximately Mach 17.3!!! - but it is essentially in a vacuum so you couldn't hear the sonic boom.

Once a shuttle boost's enough to gain that speed to dock, it has to enter and smash into the earths atmosphere at that speed, relying on air friction to slow it down.

The reason the ISS is a 'zero gravity' environment, is because it is constantly in a 'free fall' state, accelerating to the earths center at 8.69 m/s^2.

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Q: How fast does the ISS orbit earth?
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