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No, airplanes cannot be seen from space without the aid of a telescope. When astronauts or satellites orbit the Earth, they are typically at an altitude of several hundred kilometers or more above the Earth's surface. At such distances, airplanes appear tiny and are not visible to the naked eye.

Even from the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits at an altitude of around 400 kilometers (250 miles), airplanes are usually too small and move too quickly to be seen without the aid of specialized equipment like binoculars or telescopes. The ISS itself, however, can be visible from Earth as a bright moving point of light, especially during specific conditions and favorable viewing opportunities.

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