1Life Aboard the Giant Floating Lab
The International Space Station (ISS) isn't just a satellite; it's a massive, high-tech home where scientists from around the world live for months at a time. It zooms through space at a staggering speed of 17,500 miles per hour! Because it travels so fast, it actually zips around the entire planet every 90 minutes. Imagine having breakfast, then seeing a sunset before you've even finished your morning chores. This incredible machine is made of many different parts called modules, which were launched one by one and pieced together in space like a giant, cosmic Lego set.
2Working Together in Zero Gravity
Inside the station, life looks very different than it does on Earth. Since there is no up or down in microgravity, astronauts use walls, ceilings, and floors as workspaces. They spend their days conducting experiments that couldn't happen on Earth, like seeing how fire burns in space or how plants grow without soil. It is a beautiful example of international cooperation, as teams from the USA, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada all share the same kitchen and sleeping quarters. They even have to exercise for two hours every day to keep their muscles strong because their bodies don't have to work against gravity to move around.
3A Stepping Stone to the Stars
The ISS has been home to humans for over 20 years without a single day of being empty! It serves as a vital practice ground for future missions to the Moon and Mars. By studying how the human body changes during long stays in space, scientists are learning how to keep future explorers healthy on multi-year journeys. When you look up at the night sky, you can often see it passing overhead; it looks like a very bright, fast-moving star. It reminds us that when people work together, we can build a home among the stars and unlock the mysteries of the universe.
