Looking back at the ISS space station after 15 years of operation

November 2 last marked 15 years since the first astronauts began to reside in space, on the International Space Station (ISS). On November 2, 2000, Russia's Soyuz rocket docked at the International Space Station (Expedition 1), with NASA astronaut William Shepherd, next to astronaut Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev. Russian.

Some events and features stand out during the past 15 years on ISS

In 136 days, 17 hours, 9 minutes, they lived in a cramped space, quietly moving around the Earth at speeds not exceeding 28,000 km / h and only about 400 km from the ground. Aiming at the initial goal is to provide us with a clearer, more detailed view of the impact of the zero gravity environment on the human body as well as other factors, so far, breakthroughs in research that scientists on ISS bring extremely impressive and valuable.

It is known that the crew currently working on the International Space Station is Expedition 44 , in which the US Space and Aeronautics (Scott) astronaut Scott Kelly holds the record for being the longest stay. on ISS with 383 days. CNN thinks that is the premise for bringing people to Mars in the future. So far, more than 220 people from 17 different countries have set foot on the station.

Size

The International Space Station is completed by the cooperation of 16 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, West Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and England. At about 453,000 kg, it is about the same size as a football field. Scientists liken the environment of the station to the same as that of the Boeing 747. The first assembly is Zarya, which was launched by the Russian rocket Proton in 1998. Since the Expedition 1 came, there have been many. Other parts are transported and joined.

The magic

It only takes 90 minutes to revolve around the Earth, astronauts on the International Space Station have an "opportunity" to watch the dawn, then to sunset again in just 45 minutes. That is, every day, they will be able to see the sunrise and sunset process of 15 times.

Among those who participated in ISS, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield was dubbed the "cult" man, with his impressive videos. In fact, many people know Chris Hadfield after he uploaded a video of Space Oddity on the ISS station.

"Everything seems to pass silently, with mesmerizing colors and structures, right next to you. And if you move your eyes a bit, look down at the arm and you'll see everything, that's It's a deep night, with a texture that makes you feel touchable, when you're holding your hand . a link to 7 billion others. "

Innovations on space stations and strong links to Earth

There are a total of 3 laboratory modules operating on the ISS station, one from the United States, one from the European Union and one from Japan. In addition to the hundreds of experiments conducted over the past 15 years, technological innovations designed for the station have also been transferred to Earth to support people, especially health and medical issues. , NASA said.

Specifically, the design filter system for living in outer space is currently helping many people around the world have access to clean water. The compact ultrasonic device developed for use on the station leads to the introduction of hand tools that can provide a convenient diagnosis for patients. The robotic arm working on the space station has been tuned to perform tasks on Earth like surgery.

Ups and downs

A lot of events have happened over the past 15 years, in which there have been spectacular peaks, and there are also extremely catastrophic moments.

In August 2003, astronaut Yuri Malenchenko married his fiancée Ekaterina Dmitriev in space. They exchanged wishes with hotlines. In 2007, the space station picked up a new passenger, Charles Simonyi, a member of the Expedition crew 15. He stayed on the station for 12 days before returning to Earth with a member of the Expedition crew 14.

The fact that the Columbia spacecraft exploded while returning to Earth in 2003 became a disaster for the aerospace industry of the United States and the world.The explosion claimed the lives of all seven astronauts.

In June 2007, the station's computer crashed seriously. This device plays a role in controlling, navigating and managing oxygen production for ISS. The crew had intended to use the space shuttle Atlantis to return to Earth when the condition of the computer was getting worse. However, soon after, the problem was found and they fixed the problem.

During political tensions between member states on Earth, especially between Russia and the United States, cooperation on space stations is still very strong."It's a detailed plan for global cooperation , " NASA said. "It facilitates a multinational cooperation, aimed at sharing progress towards a common goal in space exploration."