International Space Station facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
International Space Station
Station statistics
The International Space Station on 23 May 2010 as seen from STS-132


COSPAR ID	1998-067A
SATCAT №	25544
Call sign	Alpha, Station
Crew	Fully crewed: 6 Currently aboard: 3 (Expedition 60)
Launch	20 November 1998; 26 years ago (1998-11-20)
Launch pad	Baikonur 1/5 and 81/23 Kennedy LC-39 and CCAFS SLC-41 (future)
Mass	≈ 419,725 kg (925,335 lb)
Length	72.8 m (239 ft)
Width	108.5 m (356 ft)
Height	≈ 20 m (66 ft) nadir–zenith, arrays forward–aft (27 November 2009)
Pressurised volume	931.57 m³ (32,898 cu ft) (28 May 2016)
Atmospheric pressure	101.3 kPa (29.9 inHg; 1.0 atm)
Perigee	408 km (253.5 mi) AMSL
Apogee	410 km (254.8 mi) AMSL
Orbital inclination	51.64°
Orbital speed	7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h; 17,100 mph)
Orbital period	92.68 minutes
Orbits per day	15.54
Orbit epoch	14 May 2019 13:09:29 UTC
Days in orbit	26 years, 6 months, 24 days (13 June 2025)
Days occupied	24 years, 7 months, 11 days (13 June 2025)
No. of orbits	116,178 as of May 2019^[update]
Orbital decay	2 km/month
Statistics as of 9 March 2011 (unless noted otherwise)
Configuration
Station elements as of June 2017^[update]

The International Space Station (ISS) is a huge space station. It is like a very large satellite where people can live for many months. The ISS orbits around Earth in Low Earth orbit. It was built piece by piece, starting in 1998. The station is a team effort involving several countries. These include the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. Other nations like Brazil, Italy, and China also help with the ISS.

How the ISS Began
Building the ISS Parts
Assembling the Station in Space
Life in Space
Images for kids
See also

How the ISS Began

In the early 1980s, NASA (the U.S. space agency) planned a space station called Space Station Freedom. This was meant to be like the Soviet Salyut and Mir space stations. But it was never built.

After the Cold War ended, the U.S. decided to work with other countries. In the early 1990s, they talked with Europe, Russia, Japan, and Canada. Their goal was to build a truly international space station. This new project was announced in 1993 and was first called Space Station Alpha. It combined ideas from different space agencies.

Building the ISS Parts

The parts of the ISS were made in many factories around the world. These parts were then sent to the Space Station Processing Facility in Florida, USA. Here, they were put together and prepared for launch. The station's parts are made from strong materials. These include stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and copper.

Assembling the Station in Space

Building the International Space Station in space was a huge task. Russian parts were launched by their own rockets and then connected. All other parts were carried into space by the Space Shuttle. By 2011, astronauts had spent over 1,000 hours working in space to add 159 parts. Many parts were tested on Earth first. This helped fix problems before they were launched into space.

The first part, called Zarya, was launched in November 1998. It was sent into orbit by a Russian Proton rocket. Two more parts, the Unity Module and Zvezda, were added next. After that, the first crew, called Expedition 1, arrived. Expedition 1 docked with the ISS on November 1, 2000. The crew included U.S. astronaut William Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergey Krikalev.

Life in Space

Living on the space station is very different from life on Earth. Astronauts have to get used to many changes.

Bedtime in Orbit

The ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes. This means the sun appears to rise and set 16 times a day! This can make it hard to know when to sleep. Astronauts try to stick to a 24-hour schedule. At bedtime, they sleep in special sleeping bags. These bags are attached to the wall. Astronauts must strap themselves in so they don't float away while sleeping.

Living in Zero Gravity

In orbit, there is no G-Force. This is also called free fall or zero gravity. To help astronauts get ready, trainers put them in water. Floating in water is a bit like having no gravity. But in water, you can push to move. In zero gravity, there's nothing to push against, so you just float. Another way to train is by flying in a plane that drops very fast. This gives a short feeling of zero gravity. This training can make people feel sick at first.

In zero gravity, astronauts don't use their legs much. So, they need to exercise a lot to keep their leg muscles strong. Without gravity, astronauts can get big upper bodies and thin legs. This is sometimes called "chicken-leg syndrome." Astronauts must exercise hard every day to stay healthy.

Eating in space is also tricky. Water and other liquids don't flow downwards in space. If a drink spills, it would float everywhere. Liquids can damage electronic equipment. So, astronauts must be very careful. They drink by sucking water from a bag or a tube. They can't use plates for food because it would float off. Instead, they eat from pouches. Their food is usually dried. This is because crumbs can also harm equipment. Sometimes fresh fruits and vegetables are sent up. But sending them is very expensive and difficult. So, astronauts bring most of their food with them.

Bathroom in Space

On the space station, the "bathroom" is more like a "restroom." You can't really take baths there. Instead, astronauts use squirt guns to "shower." One person squirts water on themselves. Others stand by with a water vacuum to catch any water that floats away. This is quite hard. So, astronauts often just take a "sponge bath" with a wet cloth.

Toilets are another challenge. On Earth, toilets use gravity to flush. Water goes down when you flush. Since there's no gravity on the ISS, the toilet must be attached to the astronauts. It gently sucks away all their waste.

Images for kids

ISS crew member storing samples
A comparison between the combustion of a candle on Earth (left) and in a free fall environment, such as that found on the ISS (right)
A 3D plan of the Russia-based MARS-500 complex, used for conducting ground-based experiments that complement ISS-based preparations for a human mission to Mars
Original Jules Verne manuscripts displayed by crew inside the Jules Verne ATV
ISS module Node 2 manufacturing and processing in the Space Station Processing Facility
Animation of the assembly of the International Space Station
The ISS was slowly assembled over more than a decade of spaceflights and crews.
An iconic view of the completed station as seen from Shuttle Atlantis during STS-132, 23 May 2010
Zarya as seen by Space Shuttle Endeavour during STS-88
MLM outfittings on Rassvet
A wide-angle view of the new module (behind Rassvet) attached to the ROS as seen from the cupola
Modified passive forward port for experiment airlock near the nadir end of Nauka
Progression of the expansion of BEAM
NanoRacks Bishop airlock module installed on the ISS
1637984492234 Progress MS 17 undocking and Nauka nadir temporary docking adapter Removal
Nauka and Prichal docked to ISS
ISS Truss Components breakdown showing Trusses and all ORUs in situ
Construction of the Integrated Truss Structure over New Zealand.
The cancelled Habitation module under construction at Michoud in 1997
ISS External Active Thermal Control System (EATCS) diagram
The communications systems used by the ISS * Luch and the Space Shuttle are not in use as of 2020
Dragon and Cygnus cargo vessels were docked at the ISS together for the first time in April 2016.
Japan's Kounotori 4 berthing
Commercial Crew Program vehicles Starliner and Dragon
Rendering of the ISS Visiting Vehicle Launches, Arrivals and Departures. Live link at nasa.gov.
The Progress M-14M resupply vehicle approaching the ISS in 2012. More than 50 unpiloted Progress spacecraft have delivered supplies during the lifetime of the station.
Space Shuttle Endeavour, ATV-2, Soyuz TMA-21, and Progress M-10M docked to the ISS, as seen from the departing Soyuz TMA-20
Spare parts are called ORUs; some are externally stored on pallets called ELCs and ESPs.
While anchored on the end of the OBSS during STS-120, astronaut Scott Parazynski performs makeshift repairs to a US solar array that damaged itself when unfolding.
Mike Hopkins during a spacewalk
Engineer Gregory Chamitoff peering out of a window
STS-122 mission specialists working on robotic equipment in the US lab
The crews of Expedition 20 and STS-127 enjoy a meal inside Unity.
Main dining desk in Node 1
Orbits of the ISS, shown in April 2013
The ISS and HTV photographed from Earth by Ralf Vandebergh
Composite of six photos of the ISS transiting the gibbous Moon
A Commemorative Plaque honouring Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement signed on 28 January 1998
Many ISS resupply spacecraft have already undergone atmospheric re-entry, such as Jules Verne ATV
Technical blueprint of components.
The ISS exterior and steelwork taken on 8 November 2021, from the departing SpaceX Crew-2 capsule.
Diagram structure of International Space Station after installation of solar arrays (as of September 2021).
Skytrack long duration exposure of the ISS
The ISS on its first pass of the night passing nearly overhead shortly after sunset in June 2014
The ISS passing north on its third pass of the night near local midnight in June 2014
The ISS passing west on its fifth pass of the night before sunrise in June 2014