The International Space Station is the platform present in the space where the riders who go to space land, live here and do big experiments of science. But the life here is very different from the earth. You can be surprised to know that the international space station has sunrise 16 times in 24 hours and sunset 16 times. Why will we tell you further? Indian -origin astronaut Sunita Williams is stuck in this international space station for 9 months and is waiting for the return.
If you understand that there is a permanent structure like International Space Station New Delhi railway station or Delhi Airport, then you are wrong. Actually, the international space station is not a stable structure, but a major spacecraft that sustained continuously. The International Space Station continues to go round the earth.
How far is the international space station
The international space station keeps circling the earth at an altitude of 403 km from the Earth. During this time astronauts are present in it. That is, Sunita Williams has been circling the earth continuously for the last 9 months. It also means that the international space station is 403 kilometers from the earth.
Speed of International Space Station
But the speed of the International Space Station is the most stunning. The International Space Station revolves around the Earth at a speed of 17500 mph. In the kilometer, it will mean that the international space station revolves around the Earth at a speed of 28163 km per hour.
International space station size
According to the American Space Agency NASA, the size of the international space station is as much as a five -bedroom house or two Boeing 747 jetliner. Here
A team of 6 people and some guests may live. At this time there are 8 people in the space station.
The weight of the space station on Earth will be about one million pounds i.e. 453592.37 kg. If all its ends are measured by mixing its size, then its length will be equal to the football ground. This space station includes laboratory modules of the United States, Russia, Japan and Europe.
90 hours day and 90 hours night secret
In the International Space Station, there is a feeling of viewing 16 sunrise and 16 sunset in 24 hours. You can also say this in such a way that it is 90 minutes of day and 90 minutes night and this happens 16-16 times in 24 hours.
This is possible due to the very fast speed of the International Space Station, the size of the Earth.
The international space station revolves around the Earth at a speed of about 28 thousand kilometers per hour. It takes it 90 minutes. That is, 90 minutes to take a round.
This means that in 24 hours ISS puts around 16 rounds around the earth (24 hours ÷ 90 minutes = 16).
Since the International Space Station completes one round every 90 minutes, it means that during every round, this space station stays about 45 minutes day (in sunlight) and about 45 minutes night (in the earth’s shade).
So in every round, the International Space Station sees the sunrise once (when it enters the day to day) and once the sunset (when it enters the day from day to night).
Since ISS makes 16 rounds in 24 hours, it sees 16 sunrise and 16 sunset.
Earth’s size (diameter 12,742 km) and the height of the orbit of the space station decides how fast the ISS can rotate around the Earth. If the Earth was very large, it would have taken longer to complete a round, and the number of sunrise-suns would have been less.
The size of the Earth and the balance of ISS orbit is such that ISS crosses the day and night parts of the Earth every 90 minutes, which makes this unique experience possible.
How old is the space station?
The first part of the International Space Station was launched in November 1998. A Russian rocket launched the Russian Zarya (Zar EE Uh) Control Module. About two weeks later, the space shuttle Endeavor and Zarya met. Space Shuttle U.S. The unity was carrying the node. Crew members connected Unity Node to Zarya.
The space station added more parts to the next two years until it was ready to live. The first crew reached the International Space Station on November 2, 2000. Since then, people have been living at the space station, more equipment has been added over time. NASA and its partners from all over the world completed the construction of the space station in 2011.