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. Several times a week, Mission Control at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, determines sighting opportunities for over 6,700 locations worldwide. 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. Watch over one hour of our planet, seen from the International Space Station, in 4K resolution. Spectacular as the view is from 200 miles up, the Earth is not the awe-inspiring blue marble made famous by the photos from the moon. Make use of Google Earth's detailed globe by tilting the map to save a perfect 3D view or diving into Street View for a 360 experience.

Earth view from space station