Earth from the ISS Cupola

A View from Low Earth Orbit

The International Space Station orbits Earth at an altitude of about 400 kilometres, completing one full revolution roughly every 90 minutes. From this vantage point the planet's curvature is unmistakable, and the thin blue line of the atmosphere can be seen hugging the horizon. This camera looks outward from the station, capturing the same sweeping perspective that astronauts describe when gazing through the windows of the orbiting laboratory.

Oceans, Continents and Cloudscapes

As the station tracks along its orbit, the view continuously shifts between deep blue open ocean, the turquoise shallows of tropical seas and coral reefs, the textured browns and greens of continents, and the white spirals of weather systems. Coastlines, island chains, and the boundaries between land and sea stand out with remarkable clarity, while clouds cast shifting patterns across the surface below.

The Station's Solar Wings

The large solar array wings that frame the edges of this view are part of the station's power system, converting sunlight into the electricity that keeps the orbiting outpost running. Other structural elements and modules occasionally drift into frame, a reminder that this perspective comes from a crewed spacecraft travelling at roughly 28,000 kilometres per hour.

A Window for Everyone

Operated as part of NASA's public live coverage, this feed brings the experience of looking down on Earth from orbit to anyone with an internet connection. It is a window onto the planet as a single, interconnected whole, offering a perspective once reserved for a handful of astronauts.