Have you ever imagined what it would be like to go to space or to live on the International Space Station? Very few actually experience this way of life. Going to space can be a very amazing experience, but it also obviously comes with some challenges.
Here are some of the craziest facts about living on the International Space Station. Did you know that it launched in 1998? That is 20 years of “international” living!
1. They see more sunrises and sunsets than we do
Astronauts can witness 16 sunrises and sunsets each day. The station travels 17,500 miles per hour so they orbit Earth every 90 minutes and that is why they see so many sunrises and sunsets.
2. They see the most wealthy cities at night
At night, astronauts are able to see human activity more because of the lights. They are able to detect where more wealthy areas are by the number of lights. For example, in poor, rural areas, it will be much darker than a big city.
3. It can be really difficult to eat in space
Astronauts eat a lot of dehydrated or rehydrated foods because they are simply easier to eat and store for long periods of time. Eating with spoons are almost impossible because if you move the spoon too fast, the food will fly everywhere.
4. They can clearly see our pollution
Astronauts have definitely noticed pollution and been unable to see parts of the country because of it. They have said when there is a clean air day where the number of cars are limited, they can suddenly see the area again.
5. Eye irritation is common
Since dust doesn’t just fall to the ground and attach to things like on Earth, it is easily attached to eyes. Other common complaints are allergies and feeling like your head is full because of the lack of gravity.
6. We all see the same stars
They see the same number of stars as we do on Earth. Simply put, because of lights, some areas are more visible to stars than others. They have more visibility so they see more stars.
7. You can get stuck in space
Sometimes astronauts admit to being stuck in one space, floating around. You’d have to wait until you were close enough to something to pull or push off from to move around. How strange would that be?
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