A jaw-dropping animation is leaving the internet stunned by showing what it would look like if the International Space Station (ISS) flew just 10,000 feet above the Earth, roughly the same cruising altitude as a commercial jet. The ISS usually orbits about 250 miles above ground and cannot be easily visible to the naked eye. This simulation makes it shockingly real, and the outcomes are blowing people’s minds.
The video, produced by YouTube channel Airplane Mode, shows the ISS flying across the landscapes at lightning speed. It is a moment that you can miss in most of the scenes. Traveling at approximately 28,000 kilometers per hour (about 17,500 mph), the real ISS completes a full orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes. Going that fast, it would be around the world in less than two hours, assuming it flew as low as it is said to have been—leaving us hardly time to raise our heads.
Even more interesting about the simulation is its surprisingly soothing tone. As the ISS passes by at a breakneck pace in the background, the beautiful scenery and the background music make this experience cruelly relaxing. One observer said, “I would definitely watch a 3-hour version of this with the ISS going around the earth twice with some relaxing ambient music.”
A different viewer commented, half-seriously, that “we must all be grateful for the courage of the astronauts who flew the ISS so low to allow us this spectacular footage.”
Although it’s physically impossible for the ISS to orbit so low due to atmospheric drag, the simulation sparks awe and a renewed appreciation for the marvel of human engineering orbiting silently above us. Through innovative animation, individuals are being provided with a different view on how fast and unbelievable the ISS really is. Airplane Mode has given us a new favorite simulation to unwind with before bed and a whole new appreciation of what might be flying overhead.