Controls
60s
Legend
Earth
ISS
Other Satellites
Science Notes
Earth rotation period ≈ 23h 56m (scaled: 30s). ISS orbital period ≈ 92 minutes (scaled accordingly). Earth radius ≈ 6,371 km. ISS average altitude ≈ 420 km.About the Earth Satellite Simulation
This interactive demo shows Earth rotating on its axis while satellites orbit in real-time scaling. By default, the International Space Station (ISS) is included, orbiting Earth every ~92 minutes in reality, compressed into seconds here.
Time is scaled so that 24 hours of Earth rotation = 30 seconds of simulation. Orbital mechanics are scaled proportionally, preserving the ratio between Earth's rotation and satellite orbital periods.
This simulation is designed for students, educators, and space enthusiasts to explore orbital mechanics visually. Future controls will allow deploying your own satellites with custom orbital periods.