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The speed of its apparent movement are determined by its orbit. The closer to Earth, the faster it appears to move.

Satellites in low earth orbit (such as the ISS) orbit around 150 miles up, and take about 90 minutes to complete one orbit. Since the world is about 25,000 miles around, that means that a LEO satellite is moving about 18,000 miles per hour.

Geosynchronous communications satellites are about 23,000 miles up and orbit once in 24 hours. Since the Earth itself turns in just 24 hours, a geosynchronous satellite appears to be stationary in the sky.

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15y ago

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The International Space Station moves so fast because it orbits the Earth at a speed of approximately 28,000 kilometers per hour. This high speed allows it to overcome Earth's gravitational pull and remain in a stable orbit around the planet.

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10mo ago
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Q: Why does the space station move so fast?
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