Earth Day on the International Space Station

Photo highlighting the beauty of Earth taken by NASA astronaut Anne McClain from 250 miles above Earth onboard the International Space Station.

Photo highlighting the beauty of Earth taken by NASA astronaut Anne McClain from 250 miles above Earth onboard the International Space Station.

Media Credit: NASA

Looking out the window of the International Space Station (ISS) and marveling at the beauty of our planet Earth, NASA astronaut Anne McClain tweeted, “Some views you don’t just see with your eyes, but rather you feel them in your soul.” From onboard the ISS, astronauts experience 16 sunrises and sunsets each day while orbiting 250 miles above the Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour.

However, the ISS doesn’t just provide awe-inspiring views of our planet, it also provides a unique platform for valuable research to benefit the Earth—from experiments aimed at improving agricultural production to investigations with important sustainability applications, research on the atmosphere and climate, and studies focused on our oceans and waterways.

This Earth Day, learn more about some of the ways researchers are leveraging the ISS National Lab for important research to benefit our planet: