The International Space Station (ISS) is a marvel of global cooperation in science, engineering, and space exploration, serving as a permanently inhabited research laboratory orbiting Earth since November 2000.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a marvel of global cooperation in science, engineering, and space exploration, serving as a permanently inhabited research laboratory orbiting Earth since November 2000. Here are must-know facts about space's most-advanced lab:

  • The International Space Station (ISS) is run by five space agencies from 15 different countries, working together as a team.
  • The ISS has had people living on board continuously since November 2000.
  • An international crew of seven people lives and works on the station, which travels around Earth at about 8 kilometers per second and completes one orbit every 90 minutes. Sometimes, more crew members are present during a crew changeover
  • In one day, the space station goes around the Earth 16 times, which means astronauts see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every 24 hours.
  • Peggy Whitson holds the U.S. record for the most time spent in space, with a total of 665 days, achieved on September 2, 2017.
  • The ISS has more space than a six-bedroom house, with six sleeping areas, two bathrooms, a gym, and a window area with a full 360-degree view of space and Earth.
  • To stay healthy in microgravity, astronauts exercise for at least two hours every day to prevent muscle and bone loss.
  • Astronauts and cosmonauts often go on spacewalks to help build, repair, and upgrade parts of the station.
  • The ISS’s solar panel wingspan is 109 meters (356 feet), which is longer than the biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, which measures 80 meters (262 feet).
  • The main parts and other components of the space station were sent to space in 42 assembly missions—37 by U.S. space shuttles and 5 by Russian Proton or Soyuz rockets.
  • The International Space Station (ISS) measures 109 meters (about 356 feet) from one end to the other. That’s just three feet shorter than an American football field, including both end zones.
  • Over 13 kilometers of electrical wiring run through the station to power its systems.
  • The Canadarm2 robotic arm, which is 55 feet long, has seven joints and two "hands". It’s used to move large modules, set up experiments, and even carry astronauts during spacewalks.
  • Up to eight spacecraft can be attached to the ISS at the same time.
  • A spacecraft can reach the space station as quickly as four hours after launching from Earth.
  • There are four cargo spacecraft that regularly bring equipment, research materials, and food to the ISS: Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, SpaceX’s Dragon, Japan’s HTV, and Russia’s Progress.
  • By Expedition 60, the ISS had supported nearly 3,000 scientific experiments done by researchers from over 108 countries.
  • The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is not linked to any specific Expedition number on the International Space Station (ISS). As per NASA's website, Ax-4 will be on the ISS at the same time as the Expedition 73 crew and the team from the SpaceX Crew-11 mission.
  • The ISS orbits in such a way that it passes over 90% of Earth’s population, and astronauts have taken millions of photos of Earth from space.
  • The space station can carry over 20 different research tools and experiments outside its structure at the same time. These include devices for observing Earth, studying materials in space, and doing particle physics experiments—like the well-known Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02, which looks for unusual particles in space.
  • The space station travels a distance every single day (within 24 hours) that’s almost equal to going to the Moon and coming back.
  • The Water Recovery System helps the crew use much less water from supply spacecraft—cutting down their need by 65%. Earlier, each person needed about 1 gallon (around 3.8 litres) of water a day, but now they need only about one-third of a gallon (about 1.3 litres).
  • The space station uses special software in orbit to keep an eye on about 3.5 lakh (350,000) sensors. These sensors help make sure everything on the station is working properly and that the crew stays safe and healthy.
  • The space station has an internal pressurized volume (the sealed area filled with breathable air where astronauts can live and work) that is about the same size as the inside of a Boeing 747 airplane( a large passenger aircraft that can carry over 400 people.)
  • More than 50 computers are always working to manage and control the space station’s systems. They handle everything from power and air supply to communication and safety, making sure the station runs smoothly and the astronauts stay safe at all times.
  • There are over 3 million lines of software code used on Earth to support the space station. This helps manage and work together with more than 1.5 million lines of code running on the space station itself (called flight software). Together, this software controls how the station operates and keeps everything working properly.
  • In the U.S. section of the International Space Station, there are 44 computers working together. They run over 1.5 million lines of software code and are connected through 100 data networks. These networks help the computers share about 4 lakh signals—like checking air pressure, temperature, or whether a valve is open or closed. This system helps the space station work properly and keeps the astronauts safe.

Size and Weight of the International Space Station

  • Pressurized Module Length: The main sealed area where astronauts live and work is about 218 feet (67 meters) long—roughly the length of two passenger planes placed end to end.
  • Truss Length: The truss (a long metal structure that acts like the backbone of the space station, holding solar panels and other important equipment) is about 310 feet (94 meters) long—almost as long as a football field.
  • Mass: The space station weighs about 925,335 pounds (appr 420 tons). That’s roughly equal to the weight of about 320 cars, showing how massive the entire structure is
  • Habitable Volume: The space station has about 13,696 cubic feet (388 cubic meters) of living space inside, not counting any extra space from visiting spacecraft. This is the area where astronauts can move around, work, eat, and sleep—similar in size to a small 3-bedroom house.
  • Pressurized Volume: The total sealed space inside the space station, filled with air so astronauts can live and work without wearing spacesuits, is about 35,491 cubic feet (1,005 cubic meters). That’s roughly as big as the inside of a large passenger airplane.
  • Power Generation: The space station uses 8 large solar panels to make electricity from sunlight. Together, they produce between 75 to 90 kilowatts of power, which is enough to run about 40 to 60 household appliances at the same time.
  • Lines of Computer Code: The space station runs on about 1.5 million lines of computer code. This software controls everything—from life support systems to communication and power—making sure the station works smoothly and safely.

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany)