The Life on the International Space Station - What it's Like to Spend Months in Orbit.

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Imagine spending months in orbit, away from your family and friends, for years. That's what astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) do—in fact, they can't just come back home after a day or two. What is life like on the ISS? Astronauts have to follow strict safety protocols during their stay, but are also given plenty of opportunities for science experiments that are too difficult or dangerous to conduct on Earth. And despite being in space for months at a time, astronauts' bodies keep adapting slightly to weightlessness. All these factors make leading an extraterrestrial life seem possible. But is it really? Read on to find out more about how people live aboard the ISS!

The International Space Station

: a Place to Live

The ISS is a habitable satellite that orbits Earth at a speed of about 17,500 miles per hour. It has been continuously occupied by international astronauts since November 2000, with the exception of a crew change in 2009 when the space shuttle Atlantis visited the station. In total, more than 230 people have visited the ISS over the course of ten years.

In 2013, NASA announced that they want to extend its lifespan from 2020 to 2024. This is an effort to save up money for future space exploration programs and allow more time for research aboard the station.

Sleeping in Weightlessness

One of the most challenging aspects of living in space is sleeping. The lack of gravity makes it difficult to get comfortable enough to sleep, and astronauts are often too tired to do much more than catnap when they're not working.

Astronauts aboard the ISS follow strict sleep routines in order to maintain their circadian rhythms—or what's called a normal 24-hour cycle of waking and sleeping.

The first step is to set up a quiet dark room with minimal light. Astronauts use blackout curtains, earplugs, and other methods to create an environment for uninterrupted sleep. They also keep their cabin at a constant temperature so they can sleep without any interruptions caused by temperature changes.

During this time, astronauts wear special garments made from materials that don't snag or get tangled in zero gravity. These garments are designed for sleeping during space travel and include socks, trousers, shirts, and long underwear made from polyester or other materials that resist snagging or tangling.

The ISS has 1-4 bunks per module; each astronaut gets their own bunk with individual storage areas below the bunk for personal items like snacks and toiletries (though these accommodations are not quite as fancy as you might see on Earth).

After

Wearing a Spacesuit

It's not easy living in space. Astronauts typically live in a small, pressurized module that contains sleeping quarters, a kitchen, bathroom, and workstation. They have to wear a spacesuit whenever they go outside the airlock of the ISS. The suits are heavy and restrictive, so it's exhausting for astronauts to put one on—they can't do it by themselves!

Astronauts often communicate with people on Earth using videoconferencing equipment. They also have to exercise regularly to combat bone and muscle loss caused by living in microgravity for months at a time. To stay healthy during their stay aboard the ISS, astronauts must follow strict safety protocols. These include wearing special clothing designed to prevent radiation exposure and following detailed cleaning procedures to avoid contaminating the environment with bacteria from Earth.

It's not always easy living aboard the International Space Station for months at a time. Astronauts have to follow strict safety protocols and need to exercise—but it's totally worth it.

Working Out in the Treadmill

The ISS has a treadmill for astronauts to exercise with. Exercise is important during extended stays in space because it helps counteract the negative effects of being in weightlessness, such as decreased muscle and bone density, changes in cardiovascular function, and a weakened immune system.

The treadmill is designed so that astronauts can move their arms and legs at the same time to simulate a normal walking motion. The device uses a harness system that holds them in place so they don't float away from the machine. Every time an astronaut steps forward or backward, or goes up or down a level on the treadmills, they're using both sets of muscles. That's good for their bones and joints!

The treadmill is also set up with handrails to help them regulate their speed when they walk or jog down Earth's gravity-oriented surface. This way, they'll stay balanced when they stop running and switch directions.

It may seem like living on the ISS would be easy with all these opportunities to keep fit! But in reality, living in space means dealing with plenty of other obstacles beyond maintaining fitness levels. Find out more about what life is really like aboard the International Space Station by reading on!

Eating in Space

One of the biggest challenges for astronauts aboard the ISS is food. The food they eat has to be packed in a way that doesn't let air in and also needs to be edible without refrigeration.

An astronaut's diet is different than ours on Earth, and their meals must provide them with many nutrients that are hard to come by in space. For example, astronauts need high levels of iron, vitamin C, and vitamin D to prevent bone loss from weightlessness. In addition, they need extra copper because this mineral plays an important role in the body's ability to recover from physical stress.

In order to address all these requirements while not going overboard with calories or wasting valuable cargo space, NASA comes up with a menu plan for each astronaut every day. This includes a breakfast meal, a snack at noon time, a dinner meal, and a midnight snack called a "midnight resupply," which is given right before the crew goes to sleep.

Eating Habits

Astronauts aboard the ISS don't eat the same foods they would on Earth. They need to be careful with what they bring on board and what they consume—anything that could contaminate the space station is prohibited. Astronauts have different meal schedules than people on Earth, and all of their food needs to be stored in airtight containers and vacuum sealed for safety.

But despite restrictions, astronauts still get to enjoy a variety of delicious meals. There is even a menu planner app for astronauts aboard the ISS!