Size equal to 5 bedrooms, weighing 4.5 lakh kg, how is the International Space Station where Sunita Williams is stuck for 9 months

New Delhi: International Space Station is the platform in space where space travelers land, live here and do big science experiments. But life here is completely different from the earth. You may be surprised to know that in International Space Station there is sunrise 16 times and sunset 16 times in 24 hours. Why does this happen, we will tell you later? Indian origin astronaut Sunita Williams is stuck in this International Space Station for 9 months and is waiting to return to Earth.

If you think that International Space Station is a permanent structure like New Delhi Railway Station or Delhi Airport, then you are wrong. Actually International Space Station is not a stable structure, but a large spacecraft that keeps rotating continuously. International Space Station keeps rotating around the Earth continuously.

How far is the International Space Station from Earth?
The International Space Station revolves around the Earth at an altitude of 403 kilometers from the Earth. During this time, astronauts are present in it. That is, Sunita Williams has been revolving around the Earth continuously for the last 9 months. This also means that the International Space Station is at a distance of 403 kilometers from the Earth.

Speed ​​of the International Space Station
But the most surprising thing is the speed of the International Space Station. The International Space Station revolves around the Earth at a speed of 17500 miles per hour. If we say it in kilometers, it will mean that the International Space Station revolves around the Earth at a speed of 28163 kilometers per hour.

Size of the International Space Station
According to the American space agency NASA, the size of the International Space Station is as big as a five-bedroom house or two Boeing 747 jetliners. A team of 6 people and some guests can stay here. At present, there are 8 people in the space station. The weight of the space station on Earth will be about one million pounds i.e. 453592.37 kilograms. If its size is measured by combining all its ends, then its length will be equal to a football field. This space station includes laboratory modules of the United States, Russia, Japan and Europe.

The secret of 90 hours of day and 90 hours of night

• In the International Space Station, one can experience 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in 24 hours. You can also say it in this way that here there is a 90-minute day and a 90-minute night and this happens 16-16 times in 24 hours.
• This is possible due to the very high speed of the Earth-sized International Space Station.
• The International Space Station revolves around the Earth at a speed of about 28 thousand kilometers per hour. It takes 90 minutes for this. That is, 90 minutes to complete one revolution.
• On Sunday, members of Crew 10 met other astronauts including Sunita Williams in the space station.
• This means that in 24 hours the ISS orbits the Earth approximately 16 times (24 hours ÷ 90 minutes = 16).
• Since the International Space Station completes one orbit every 90 minutes, this means that during each orbit the space station has about 45 minutes of daylight (in sunlight) and about 45 minutes of night (in the Earth’s shadow).
• So in each orbit, the International Space Station sees once sunrise (when it enters day from night) and once sunset (when it enters night from day).
• Since the ISS orbits 16 times in 24 hours, it sees 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets.
• The size of the Earth (diameter 12,742 km) and the altitude of the space station’s orbit (400 km) determine how fast the ISS can orbit the Earth. If the Earth were much larger, it would take longer to complete one rotation, and there would be fewer sunrises and sunsets.
• The balance between the size of the Earth and the ISS’s orbit is such that the ISS crosses the dayside and nightside of the Earth every 90 minutes, making this unique experience possible.

How old is the space station?
The first part of the International Space Station was launched in November 1998. A Russian rocket launched the Russian Zarya (zar ee uh) control module. About two weeks later, the space shuttle Endeavour and Zarya met up. The space shuttle was carrying the U.S. Unity node. Crew members attached the Unity node to Zarya.

More parts were added to the space station over the next two years until it was ready for habitation. The first crew arrived on the International Space Station on November 2, 2000. People have been living on the space station since then, with more equipment added over time. NASA and its partners around the world completed the construction of the space station in 2011.

Possible date of return confirmed
Meanwhile, there is good news about Sunita Williams. NASA has confirmed her return date. NASA said in a statement on Sunday evening that it has extended the estimated schedule of the astronauts landing in the sea off the Florida coast to 5:57 pm on Tuesday (3:27 am on Wednesday as per Indian Standard Time).

Let us tell you that both the astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmer have been stranded on the International Space Station since June. The Boeing Starliner in which they went to space had technical problems. After this, it was found unfit to return to Earth.