The Fascinating Reality of Earth’s Atmosphere

Yuri Gagarin, Neil Armstrong, Valentina Tereshkova, and even pop star Katy Perry—while they may each have unique stories, one shocking truth binds them all: none have actually escaped Earth’s atmosphere! You might think of the International Space Station (ISS) as floating freely in space, but believe it or not, it’s still very much within the clutches of our atmosphere, experiencing gravity nearly as strong as at sea level.

NASA's Explanation: Atmosphere Above Us!

NASA heliophysics expert Doug Rowland breaks it down in a recent video: "The atmosphere we breathe doesn’t just vanish at a certain height. It doesn’t stop at Mount Everest or where planes soar. In fact, it gradually thins, extending to remarkable altitudes, and it’s still around at hundreds of miles up!" He explains that even at the height of the ISS—only a couple hundred miles up—there’s enough air to create drag, slowly pulling the space station back towards Earth unless it’s regularly boosted by rockets.

Defining the Edge of Space