La International Space Station The ISS is a space research center and interpretation laboratory operated and operated by several international organizations. The directors are American, Russian, European, Japanese, and Canadian space agencies, but it brings together a crew of diverse nationalities and specialties to manage and operate the provided hardware.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the International Space Station and its importance.
International Space Station
These crews handle the complex tasks of operating construction facilities, processing facilities and launch support, operate multiple launch vehicles, conduct research, and streamline technology and communications facilities. structure of the atmosphere is one of the many topics investigated in this environment.
The assembly of the International Space Station began with the launch of the Russian Zarya control module on November 20, 1998, linked to the US-built Unity docking node a month later. This assembly process has been crucial to our understanding of the , as it has been continually adapted and expanded to meet increasingly demanding requirements. In mid-2000, a Russian-made Zvezda module was added, and in November of the same year, the first resident group arrived, consisting of American aerospace engineer William Shepard, Russian mechanical engineer Sergey Krikalev, and Colonel Yurigi Cenko of the Russian Air Force. Since then, the space station has been occupied.
This is the largest space station ever built and continues to be assembled in orbit. When this expansion ends, it will be the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon.
Since 2000, astronauts arriving at the International Space Station have rotated roughly every six months. They arrived on a space shuttle from the United States and Russia, along with survival supplies. Soyuz and Progress are among the most widely used Russian ships for these purposes.
Components of the International Space Station
Space station components are not easy to manufacture. It is powered by solar panels and cooled by a circuit that dissipates heat from the modules, the spaces where the crew lives and works. During the day, the temperature reaches 200ºC, while at night it drops to -200ºC. For this, the temperature must be properly controlled.
Trusses are used to support solar panels and heat sinks, and flask- or sphere-shaped modules are connected by "nodes." Some of the major modules are Zarya, Unity, Zvezda, and Solar Array. This complexity in construction is astounding, especially considering what we've learned about the modern space technology and its importance in exploration.
Several space agencies have designed robotic arms to maneuver and move small payloads, as well as inspect, install, and replace solar panels. The most famous is the space station telemanipulator developed by a Canadian team, that stands out for its 17-meter-long measure. It has 7 motorized joints and can bear loads heavier than usual like a human arm (shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers).
The metals used throughout the structure of the space station are resistant to corrosion, heat and solar radiation, so they are not entirely new and do not give off toxic gases when in contact with space elements.
The exterior of the space station has special protection against small collisions of space objects, such as micrometeorites and debris. Micrometeorites are small stones, usually less than a gram, that seem harmless. However, due to their speed, they can severely damage structures without this protection. Likewise, the windows have anti-shock protection as they are made up of 4 layers of 3 cm thick glass.
When completed, the ISS will have a total weight of about 420.000 kilograms and a length of 74 meters.
Where is?
The research center is located 370-460 kilometers above the surface (approximately the distance between Washington DC and New York) and travels at an astonishing speed of 27.600 km/h. This means that the space station orbits the Earth every 90-92 minutes, so the crew experiences 16 sunrises and sunsets per day.
The space station orbits the Earth at an inclination of 51,6 degrees., allowing it to cover up to 90 percent of populated areas. Its precise location can also be tracked, allowing astronomy enthusiasts to learn more about the International Space Station in real time. Because its height is not very high, it can be seen from the ground with the naked eye at the time. On the web http://m.esa.int You can follow its route in real time to see if it's near your area. It passes through the same place every three days.
station life
Reassuring the crew from start to finish is no easy job as there are many risks from space travel to health conditions after spending time in space. However, shifts can help astronauts avoid greater risks.
For example, the lack of gravity affects a person's muscles, bones and circulatory system, reason why crew members have to exercise for 2 hours a day. Exercises include bike-like leg movements, bench press-like arm movements, as well as deadlifts, squats and more. The equipment used is fully adapted to the conditions of space, because it must be remembered that the weight in space is different from the weight on Earth.
It takes a few days of adaptation to get a good night's sleep. This is important so that crew members have due attention to operate and make decisions. Astronauts tend to sleep between six and six and a half hours on average, and they will be tethered to a non-buoyant object.
Astronauts brush their teeth, wash their hair and go to the bathroom like everyone else, but it's not as easy as at home. Good dental hygiene starts with regular brushing, but since there is no sink, the residue cannot be spit out, so some people choose to swallow it or discard it on a towel. The towels are constantly changed and are made of a thin but absorbent material.
The shampoos they use do not require rinsing, and the water they use for the body is cleaned with a towel because the lack of gravity causes the liquid to stick to the skin in the form of bubbles instead of falling to the ground. To meet their physiological needs, they use a special funnel connected to a suction fan.
The diet they follow is special; they don't enjoy it like on Earth, because in that case the palate is narrowed, and it is packaged differently. In this sense, they have changed the way we consume food on Earth, similar to what is needed for reduce the impact of climate change.
It's not all work on the space station. Few people know that astronauts also have some activities to avoid boredom and stress. Perhaps looking out the window and looking at the Earth is enough, as few people do, but 6 months is a long time. They can watch movies, listen to music, read, play cards and communicate with loved ones. The mind control required to work so long on the space station is another possible aspect of the astronauts.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the international space station and its characteristics.
Excellent theme, I did not know some very special characteristics of this great creation of man, that the ideal is to unite the nations in science, technology and PEACE... Greetings