The ISS just completed its 100,000th orbit of Earth

The International Space Station, the space laboratory that showcases cooperation between Russia and the United States, on Monday orbited Earth for the 100,000th time, Russian mission control said.
Travelling at an altitude of about 250 miles (400 kilometres) and a speed of about 17,500 miles (28,000 kilometres) per hour, the space station circles the Earth once every 90 minutes.
Its "anniversary orbit" lasted from 7:35 am to 9:10 am Moscow time (0435 to 0610 GMT), mission control said.
The ISS has now travelled 2.6 billion miles "or about the distance of 10 round trips to Mars," NASA said on the station's official Twitter feed.

http://phys.org/news/2016-05-international-space-station-100000th-orbit.html

 

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I once had a long debate with an otherwise reputable physicist on a npw defunct forum, about the benefits or otherwise of the ISS when compared to costs.
I see it, and still do, as a necessary step in humanity's voyage/venture into space for extended periods.
A well worth while investment.

 

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