It’s widely known that objects in space move at incredible speeds, but a recent video showcasing the velocity of the International Space Station (ISS) has left viewers in awe. Since its upload on YouTube in 2022, the video has garnered over 700,000 views and continues to captivate its audience. The video begins by presenting a simulation of the ISS in space, revealing its astonishing average speed of 17,150 miles per hour (27,600 kilometers per hour) as it orbits the Earth. To put this into perspective, it’s equivalent to traveling at Mach 22.3, whereas the speed of sound travels at Mach 1.
The most fascinating aspect of the video is seeing how the station’s speed compares to ground level. The video creator, Airplane Mode, used Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 to simulate the ISS moving at Mach 22 speeds through New York City. The simulation provides a first-person view, showcasing the ISS zooming past the city’s vast water body and reaching the city itself in just over a second. It’s mind-boggling to imagine the station traversing the entire expanse of New York City in under three seconds, underscoring the unimaginable velocity at which it moves in space. The simulation also illustrates the rapid movement of the ISS over mountain ranges around the globe.
For further context, the video includes a comparison of the ISS’s speed to that of something traveling at the speed of sound through the city. This stark distinction emphasizes the remarkable sluggishness of sound in comparison. Viewers left comments expressing their astonishment at humanity’s ability to propel an object at such incredible speeds.
The video truly highlights the awe-inspiring nature of the ISS and its orbital journey around our vast planet. Despite its rapid velocity, it still takes the station approximately 90-93 minutes to complete one full orbit, serving as a reminder of the immense scale of our blue planet.
