Why is distance to the space station measured in nautical miles

[Winston_Smith]

When it is clearly space/air not ocean?

[UncleRojelio]

Nautical miles are used in aviation as well.

[Bobotheoptimist]

Nautical miles equal to 1/60th a degree of … lat…long… um… latitude. Yeah, latitude so they make more sense in space where they have no lat…

Dammit! I don’t know.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Tradition.

[Winston_Smith]

@Exapno Mapcase

Tradition.

Cite?

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Here.

[Winston_Smith]

@Exapno Mapcase

Here.

La chiam!

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Another cite from NASA

Sailors were the first to use nautical miles. One nautical mile is equal to one minute of latitude. Maps were drawn to follow this standard and world aviation standards still use the nautical mile. A nautical mile is equivalent to 1.1508 miles, or 6,076 feet, in the English measurement system. To convert nautical miles into kilometers multiply the nautical miles by 1.8520.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@Winston Smith

La chiam!

Close. It’s La’chaim.