ISS—International Space Station. One of the most complex and amazing structures ever built by man. This space station is a unique platform for the discovery of new technologies and cooperation between different countries of the world. But how much do we know about it? Let's know 7 amazing facts about this space station.
1. Earth rotates every 90 minutes
The International Space Station is orbiting the Earth at about 5 miles per second. Which is about 28 thousand kilometers per hour. As a result, astronauts see sunrise and sunset once every 90 minutes. That is, they see the sun rising and setting 16 times a day.
2. The ISS is the size of a football field
The International Space Station is one of the largest man-made structures in space. About 109 meters or 356 feet in length. Much like an American football field. This station can accommodate 7 astronauts simultaneously. The station's workspace is bigger than a six-bedroom house. There are six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gymnasium and a large window. A 360 degree view can be seen with the help of this window. ISS weighs about 450 tons or 4 lakh kg. Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane, is 262 feet long. You understand how big the space station is! There is a huge network built for power supply. The various modules are connected by cables about eight miles long. There are 50 computers to run the space station.
3. Microgravity Laboratory
The space station has a microgravity system inside to keep the surrounding objects afloat. Astronauts or objects on space stations do not experience the same gravitational pull as on Earth. This is why astronauts are seen floating inside the space station. But it is not that there is no gravity. Yes but very weak. This microgravity environment serves as a unique laboratory for scientists. Many experiments are not possible under the influence of Earth's gravity. But space does not have this barrier. Scientists conduct experiments in medicine, biology and physics here. Expedition 60 has enabled researchers from more than 108 countries to conduct nearly 3,000 research projects, making this microgravity laboratory a global research hub.
4. Exercise for two hours every day
On Earth we keep our bodies active through normal activities and movements. But in space it is a big challenge. Astronauts exercise for about two hours a day to prevent muscle and bone loss in that microgravity environment. They exercise regularly using specially designed machines like treadmills. American astronaut Peggy Whitson holds the record for the longest time spent on the International Space Station. He was in space for about 665 days. Astronauts perform regular spacewalks to maintain and upgrade the space station.
5. The space station isn't just NASA
The International Space Station is considered a symbol of international cooperation. Because, it is not a single project of any country. Five space agencies jointly operate the International Space Station in partnership with 15 countries. The space agencies of this joint project are the US NASA, the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Canadian Space Agency, the Japanese Space Research Agency, the European Space Agency.
6. ISS is composed of many segments
The structure we see in the picture was not launched into space at once. Parts have been sent into space by rockets for a long time. Then they are connected to each other to form this structure. The International Space Station began its journey in 1998 with a module called Zaria. Over the next few years, the station was completed by adding more modules including laboratories, living quarters and solar panels. Astronauts have been living in this station since 2000 and carrying out various scientific researches. It takes an average of four hours to send a spacecraft from Earth to the International Space Station.
7. Time is over for the International Space Station
With time, the life of the International Space Station has come to an end. Now NASA is working to safely destroy it. SpaceX is responsible for the destruction. The company may be destroyed in any ocean of the world by 2031. Its activities will end at the end of 2030.