What is the orbital inclination of the ISS?

The orbital inclination of the ISS is 51.6 degrees.

Inclination measures the tilt of an orbit relative to Earth’s equator. An inclination of 51.6° means the station travels as far north as about 51.6° latitude and as far south as about 51.6° latitude during each orbit, rather than passing over the poles.

This path was chosen partly because Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, located near 46° north. The inclination allows those vehicles to reach the station efficiently without flying over China or dropping spent rocket stages across heavily populated areas.

The ISS completes an orbit in roughly 93 minutes and circles Earth about 15.5 times per day. Its inclination is sometimes confused with its altitude: the station’s altitude changes as atmospheric drag and reboosts affect its orbit, but its basic inclination remains essentially fixed.