International Space Station

Ever since visiting NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, I have become quite intrigued by the International Space Station. It is really an incredible research facility whizzing around some 200 miles or so above us, traveling over 17,000 miles per hour. What I find especially amazing is that the ISS is now one of the brightest objects in the sky, and can be seen fairly easily with the naked eye. To find out when the Space Station will be flying over your town, click HERE. The ISS has been a work in progress since 1998, and is due to be completed in 2011. After that, it will stay in orbit for another five years before funding ends and it is scheduled to be destroyed. Some in the science community are optimistic that the ISS will continue conducting experiments and investigations long beyond 2016. I am one of those who hopes that it stays flying for years to come, because, despite my best efforts, I have yet to find the elusive thing in the sky after many viewing attempts. It has flown over southeast Michigan almost daily this month, but, even in clear weather, I haven't managed to spot it. I'll keep looking, though, and if I'm lucky, I will catch a glimpse of it sometime before the ISS mission ends!