Sights From the Stratosphere: A Year of Photographs From the International Space Station

GAZE down at the Earth’s sprawling surface from the International Space Station

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Videographer / director: NASA, Science Photo Library
Producer: Hannah Stevens, Nick Johnson
Editor: Ian Phillips

The ISS travels between 205 and 270 miles per hour as it orbits the Earth

Throughout 2016 astronauts aboard the ISS have been documenting the ever-changing face of the Earth, capturing vast deserts, isolated mountain regions and bustling cities.

Every day the space station orbits the earth 15.5 times

The grand space station orbits the Earth at an altitude of 205 and 270 miles, and goes round the planet an incredible 15.5 times each day.

The circumference of the Earth is 40,075 kilometres

Even though Earth has a 40,075km circumference, each orbit of the earth only takes 92.65 minutes in the ISS.

Each orbit of the Earth takes the space station 92.65 to complete

Digital cameras were introduced on shuttle missions in 1995 and today all Crew Earth Observations (CEO) are taken with a digital camera.

This year astronauts aboard the ISS have been exploring how living in space impacts the human body

This year occupants of the ISS have included Tim Peake and Kathleen Rubins and astronauts currently aboard the station are carrying out studies to determine how living and working in space impacts the human body.

Many astronauts have boarded the ISS this year, including Brit Tim Peake and Kathleen Rubins

As well as carrying out research, astronauts aboard the station have been photographing Earth’s vast landscapes and capturing epic time lapses of the Earth’s orbit.

In some photographs the edge of the Earth's atmosphere is clearly visible

Rolling footage explores the stunning light formations created by our planet’s cities, including Calgary, Canada and Boston, Massachusetts, while an ethereal green glow marks the edge of Earth’s atmosphere.