With this assumption, orbiting bodies will continue indefinitely and predictably. In other words, the mutual gravity is the only force in the system between two objects (in our case the earth and a $150 billion space laboratory). In celestial mechanics, or the study of how things move in space, simple orbits are called Keplerian, with the assumption of a two-body system. If that name isn’t explanatory enough, its one job is simply to point directly at the ISS wherever it is in space, a small but constant reminder of what humanity is capable of. This is the first prototype of the International Space Station orbit tracking pointer. So I’ve had this question in my head for while now: how can the fact be made more immediate and tangible that what is perhaps humanity's greatest technical achievement of all time is constantly passing just 250 miles above our heads? And I think our accomplishments in space are worth appreciating, not to mention advocating for. And I think that’s a problem, because people need more than some pretty pictures and a celestial David Bowie cover to really appreciate something.

But you can’t load up your minivan with the kids and take a roadtrip to low earth orbit. People flock by the millions every year to see old presidents carved into a mountain, gigantic shopping malls, religious apparitions, casinos, theme parks, zoos, et cetera. The International Space Station (ISS) is the most complex scientific and engineering project in history, and yet it has no tourists. Well, I know one way to direct attention to something: Point at it. There’s a growing movement of people who believe that our space agencies are underfunded and that humanity isn’t paying enough attention to our present accomplishments and future plans in space exploration.

International space station tracker