The U.S. space agency says it has started streaming live video views of the Earth from the International Space Station at an altitude of 220 miles.

The streaming video of Earth and the exterior structure of the space station are from cameras mounted outside the laboratory complex that is orbiting Earth at 17,500 miles an hour. The video is transmitted to Internet viewers primarily while the station's astronauts are asleep, usually from about 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. EDT.

When live feeds are not available, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said it will present a map showing the current location and path of the space station from NASA's Mission Control in Houston.

Officials said the streaming video will include communications between mission control and the astronauts, when available. When a space shuttle is docked to the station or a spacewalk is under way, the stream will include video and audio of those activities.

The video is available at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html?param=station