The International Space Station or ISS is an orbital laboratory where astronauts from various countries conduct studies about outer space.
According to Space.com, the ISS is being operated under a "co-operative programme" between Europe, the United States, Russia, Canada, and Japan. Thus, it is not owned by a single nation.
The ISS was born with the joining of the first two modules, Zarya and Unity. This began in 1998 when the Soviet Union and the United States of America decided to work on a joint project of putting into space a massive orbiting laboratory, as per Slashgear.
Since then, the ISS has been considered the biggest structure humans have ever built in space. But don't you wonder about life on ISS? Here are the five interesting facts about life on ISS that you probably did not hear yet.
1. The ISS Travels Really Fast
The ISS travels at an incredible rate. According to Slashgear, it orbits the Earth at about 17,500 miles per hour. This means that the astronauts and cosmonauts in the station are able to circle the Earth once every 90 minutes. At this rate, in a 24-hour period, they experience 16 times of sunrise and sunset.
2. There's Typically an International Crew of Seven People Living and Working Inside the ISS
Usually, you will find an international crew of seven people in the ISS. But this number varies during the changeover of crew members. For instance, 13 crew members visited the ISS in 2009.
Astronauts and cosmonauts usually spend around six months in the ISS, working on different science experiments and conducting repairs in the station. When they are not working, they usually spend at least two hours on exercise.
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3. Time Passes Slower for Those on the ISS
According to Slashgear, relativity says that we experience time in a slower manner if we are moving faster. With its speed of 17,500 miles per hour, the ISS is moving at an incredible speed. This is fast enough "to measure the effects of time dilation on its inhabitants."
This means that for a year spent in the space station, the astronauts or cosmonauts will experience time one-hundredth of a second slower than the people living on Earth.
4. The Station is Almost as Big as a Football Field
The ISS has a mass of 925,335 lbs. (419,725 kilograms). Including its large solar arrays and end zones, it is as big as a U.S. football field.
Now, the space station is said to have more livable room. It is also equipped with two bathrooms, gym facilities, plus a 360-degree bay window. According to the astronauts and cosmonauts staying there, the ISS's living space is comparable to the cabin of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.
5. Over 250 Astronauts Have Called the ISS Home
For more than two decades, many astronauts and cosmonauts have visited the ISS. According to Slashgear, 251 people have visited the station as of February 2022. These people came from 19 countries.
Since crew assignments depend on the country's contribution to the ISS, the majority of the crew came from the U.S., with 155 astronauts. A total of 52 Russian cosmonauts worked in the station. There were 11 Japanese astronauts, eight Canadian astronauts, and five or fewer from various members of the European Space Agency.
Related Article: 10 Things To Know About Life on the International Space Station
