Few Facts to Know about the International Space Station

All images: NASA

ISS Maintained in Low Earth Orbit

The International Space Station (ISS) is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors. The ISS is the largest space station ever built and here are a few facts about it.

Fact 1: ISS Continuously Occupied Since Late 2000

The ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It was launched on November 20, 1998. An international crew of seven people live and work on the ISS.

Fact 2: The Mind-Boggling Speed

The ISS circles Earth every 90 minutes at a speed of about 28,000 kilometres per hour. In 24 hours, the ISS travels about the distance it would take to go from Earth to the Moon and back.

Fact 3: The Facilities Inside ISS

According to NASA, the living and working space in the station is larger than a six-bedroom house. The station has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window.

Fact 4: The Control System

More than 50 computers control the systems on the space station, and, more than 3 million lines of software code on the ground support more than 1.5 million lines of flight software code.