The International Space Station (ISS) is currently orbiting the Earth at a record altitude of 262 miles (422 km). It was recently intentionally elevated to a higher position by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Such a maneuver is necessary for the station to orbit the Earth safely, as air resistance causes it to gradually lose altitude.
The station can use any docked spacecraft to adjust its orbit. The process is carried out by firing thrusters at one of the spacecraft over a period of several minutes, gently lifting the orbital facility to a new altitude.
Without the reboost process, which normally takes place about once a month, the station would eventually fly into the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up.
“Reboosts like this help the station maintain its orbit, counteract atmospheric drag, and ensure that the laboratory remains perfectly positioned for science, spacecraft operations, and visitation,” NASA said in a post on X announcing the station’s new location high above Earth.
The space station has just reached its level – literally.
After the restart of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, the International @Space_Station is now orbiting at a record altitude of 262 miles.
Restarts like this help the station maintain its orbit and counteract… pic.twitter.com/jVfEejC9ww
— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) January 26, 2026
The ISS normally orbits our planet at an altitude of about 250 miles (402 km), but it has now moved 12 miles beyond that. Although they are now at a higher altitude, the crew aboard the ISS will not notice any difference in microgravity conditions or in their view of Earth.
In particular, the ISS will be decommissioned around 2030 due to its aging condition. At this point, once freed of crew and equipment, a spacecraft is attached to the ISS and uses its propulsion to lower its orbit rather than raise it, allowing atmospheric drag to pull it downward for a controlled reentry.
While much of the satellite will burn up during its high-speed descent, some parts are expected to return to Earth and crash into the Pacific Ocean.
The station’s demise does not mean the end of people living and working in low Earth orbit. In fact, China already has taikonauts aboard its own space station, while a number of U.S. companies are working on next-generation stations for international visitors.
