Two glimpses of the International Space Station
Here is a time-lapse sequence including two overhead passes by the International Space Station [ISS]. Both passes begin in the lower-left corner of the frame and end in the upper right.
The first pass occurs between 0:46 and 0:47, and the second pass between 1:05 and 1:07. The station appears as a streak of light in these 4-second exposures.
![The International Space Station [center of green circle] overhead, pass 1, at 7:17 PM on 8 Feb 2013. Green arrow indicates direction of travel. Visible in the frame for about 1 second.](http://static.squarespace.com/static/5005dbf284aebe9f4d09d4f5/t/51180437e4b0cd4cc718f1ac/1360528443955/1306-_P2A-1361-ISS.jpg)
The International Space Station [center of green circle] overhead, pass 1, at 7:17 PM on 8 Feb 2013. Green arrow indicates direction of travel. Visible in the frame for about 1 second.

Pass 2, at 8:06 PM on 8 Feb 2013. Green arrow indicates direction of travel. Visible in the frame for about 2 seconds.
The ISS, whose first component, the Zarya module, was launched in 1998, now has approximately a dozen pressurized sections connected and orbiting about 250 miles [402 km] above the surface of the earth [drawing from NASA]:
![Major components of the International Space Station [shown as of May 2011].](http://static.squarespace.com/static/5005dbf284aebe9f4d09d4f5/t/511829dae4b0cd4cc7197a60/1360538075386/ISS_configuration_2011-05_en-bg.jpg)
Major components of the International Space Station [shown as of May 2011].
