Life on the International Space Station

The International Space Station, or ISS, travels around the Earth at about twenty-eight thousand kilometres an hour. It is so fast that it goes round the planet roughly every ninety minutes. As a result, the astronauts on board see around sixteen sunrises and sunsets every day. Living in space is very different from life on Earth. Because everything floats, astronauts have to fix their belongings to the walls with straps or tape. They sleep in small cabins, attached to the wall in sleeping bags so that they do not drift around. Eating is another challenge. Food comes in sealed packages, and drinks are sipped from bags with straws, because liquid would escape from an open cup. Astronauts also have to work out for about two hours every day. Without gravity, muscles and bones become weaker, so they use special exercise machines to keep their bodies in good condition. The rest of the day is filled with experiments, repairs and talks to students on Earth. Scientists are learning a great deal from the station. For example, studies about how plants grow without gravity may one day help to produce food on long space journeys. Several countries have worked together to build and run the ISS, and it has been visited by astronauts from more than twenty nations.