Skip to main content

The incredible collaboration behind the International Space Station - Tien Nguyen

678,429 Views

17,013 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

The International Space Station is roughly the size of a six-bedroom house and weighs more than 320 cars -- it's so large that no single rocket could have lifted it into orbit. Instead, it was assembled piece by piece while hurtling through space at 28,000 kilometers per hour, lapping the Earth once every 90 minutes. Tien Nguyen explains how.

At 400 km above the Earth, the ISS is in low-Earth orbit where the atmosphere is very thin, but can still drag on the station so that it slows down slightly and gets closer to the Earth. What are some other strategies to keep the ISS from crashing down to Earth?

Login to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Tien Nguyen
  • Collaborator Office of Research Integrity
  • Director Hernando Bahamon
  • Artist Andrés Landazábal
  • Animator Ricardo Avila
  • Sound Designer Manuel Borda
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

More from Out Of This World