Is NASA’s International Space Station in a Pool in Houston Texas?

There has been a wild rumor circulating around the internet lately, suggesting that NASA's magnificent International Space Station (ISS) is secretly tucked away in a pool somewhere in Houston, Texas.

Can you imagine? That's what the person who posted the video at the bottom of this article wants us to believe.

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We're here to debunk this fascinatingly bizarre claim and reveal the extraordinary reality behind this interstellar abode.

The ISS: A Stellar Wonder 

Let's start by unraveling the true nature of the International Space Station. The ISS is a breathtaking engineering marvel, an orbiting laboratory that has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It serves as a unique microgravity environment where astronauts conduct cutting-edge research, test technological advancements, and collaborate with international partners to expand humanity's knowledge of space.

Houston, We Don't Have a Problem

While Houston, Texas, boasts the renowned NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), home to astronaut training facilities and mission control, it is important to clarify that the International Space Station itself is not located there. The ISS, by definition, is located in outer space, orbiting approximately 408 kilometers (253 miles) above the Earth's surface.  

Orbiting in Outer Space

The ISS orbits our planet at an astonishing speed of about 28,000 kilometers per hour (17,500 miles per hour). This high-speed orbit allows the station to circumnavigate the Earth once every 90 minutes, providing astronauts onboard with incredible views of our planet from a vantage point like no other.

How the Rumor Started

Rumors can take on a life of their own, and this particular one about the ISS being nestled in a pool in Houston, Texas, seems to have originated from a misconception. The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), located at NASA JSC, features a large pool used for simulating the weightlessness of space. Astronauts undergo extensive training in the NBL to practice spacewalks and fine-tune their skills before venturing into the great unknown. The similarity between the NBL's training pool and the rumor likely sparked the confusion.  

The Real Purpose of the Pool

The NBL's gargantuan pool, measuring an impressive 61 meters (200 feet) long, 31 meters (102 feet) wide, and 12 meters (40 feet) deep, serves as a training ground for astronauts to simulate the sensation of weightlessness experienced in space. It contains full-scale mock-ups of various space station modules, allowing astronauts to practice maintenance tasks, extravehicular activities, and even emergency procedures. So, the pool serves as a vital tool for honing the skills of our space explorers, but it's not where the ISS resides. Check out the video for yourself below: