International Space Station is a unique science laboratory serving as a home to astronauts in space, where different types of experiments related to space are done. We can also call ISS a lab continuously orbiting the earth at 27,580 km/h. International Space Station was launched on 20 November 1998, and its various parts have been sent through 36 different assembly flights. These parts were assembled in space by astronauts. It is the most expensive project ever, which has cost a total of US$160 billion. 16 countries are involved in making this huge project and so far 263 individuals from 20 countries have been sent on it. Different spacecraft were used each time astronauts were sent there. The space station measures 357 feet or 108 meters from end to end, which is about the size of a football field. It weighs around 410,000 kilograms, orbiting 250 miles above Earth.
Astronauts in ISS live in microgravity for longer periods and also various research on the human body is done to find out the consequences the human body can face after living in such a harsh environment for a long time. Microgravity weakens human bones because exposure to microgravity causes calcium loss from weight-bearing bones. That's why astronauts have to do workout for approximately two hours a day in the space station.
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This information will be useful in future space missions to distant planets as the distance of other planets from the earth is extremely far and it takes a lot of time to reach there. Talking about Mars, it may take 250 to 300 days to send a spacecraft from Earth to Mars. But if a spacecraft is sent to a distant planet or a place outside the solar system, it may take decades to reach there. So if a human has to be sent on a space journey for such a long time, it is very important to develop the necessary technology by doing adequate research, which is usually done in the space station.
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In ISS, NASA and other space agencies study the effects of microgravity on the human body. Many other experiments like growing plants and making food are also done in microgravity. Along with this, the ozone layer and the global warming of the earth are also monitored. In the future, it would take months to go to Mars, stay there for a long time, and then return to Earth. At that time astronauts will be kept safe and healthy by taking advantage of these experiments. Now because the travel and stay of astronauts will be held in microgravity only, these experiments cannot be conducted on earth and these were the reasons why scientists needed to build the ISS.
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