Sep 16, 2016
While imaging the Turkish highlands September 7, the Landsat 7 Earth observation satellite spotted something else - the International Space Station! Although the two spacecraft orbit more than 200 miles apart - the ISS 250 miles above Earth and Landsat 7 at 440 miles - orbital mechanics causes the laboratory to underfly the satellite a few times a year. Multiple Landsat satellites have captured various space objects over their operational lifespans, including the space shuttle, spent rocket stages, and other satellites. In fact, this exact phenomena occurred earlier this year, when the Landsat 8 satellite spotted the station flying in its line of sight.