
The International Space Station as seen from the space shuttle Endeavour. (NASA photo)
At 8:58 and 10:34 tonight, the 1 million pound International Space Station will be whizzing overhead at 17,500 miles per hour, with good viewing opportunities in the sky well over the horizon, and clear skies forecast. If you miss it tonight, viewing will also be prime tomorrow at 9:41 p.m.
The station circles the globe once every 90 minutes, and tonight viewers will have more than five minutes to watch it cruise overhead. On board are six crew members: three Russians, two Americans and one Japanese astronaut.
They are using the micro-gravity environment to do experiments on everything from the function of human physiology to the performance of red-backed spiders in space – a schoolkid science project.
The space station is a project of 15 different countries and 5 space agencies.