There’s no human-made object orbiting our planet bigger than the International Space
Station (or ISS, for short). I think some would argue that there’s nothing more fascinating
either!
The ISS speeds through space at 5 miles per second. (Imagine getting from LA to New York
in less than 10 minutes!) It takes about 1 & ½ hours to complete one orbit around our
planet, and it does this a little over 15 times per day. The ISS is a real speed racer
flying about 250 miles above Earth. And don’t forget – there’s a whole crew of astronauts
in there!
The station is shared by the space agencies of the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia,
and Japan, hence the whole “international” thing. The purpose of this joint effort is
to conduct research for future space missions, such as more trips to the moon or maybe even
to Mars someday! And I’m sure it’d take a whole global effort to keep this bad boy
running. The estimated cost as of 2010 was $150 billion. The cost per crewmember per
day is $7.5 million. No wonder the Station has been dubbed the priciest human-made structure
in history!
As of March 2019, 236 people have served aboard the ISS, and they collectively represent 18
different countries. It’s had people on board continually since November 2000. The
ISS usually houses crews made up of 3 to 6 individuals, and one expedition typically
lasts for about 6 months before an astronaut is relieved by someone else. That’s when
it can get really interesting because there might be up to 13 crewmembers onboard at once
while they’re sort of changing shifts! But I imagine astronauts don’t have to worry
about their toes getting stepped on in a crowded place, huh?
This impressive structure is often visible from Earth, even during the day since sunlight
shines on its reflective surfaces. And in case you’d like to see it, there are smartphone
apps that show you when and where you can see the ISS on it’s next fly-by over your
town.
Perhaps that’s what helped Washington-based photographer Rainee Colacurcio snap an amazing
shot of the ISS flying in front of the sun! Just imagine: our sun is almost 900,000 miles
across. That means you could fit 109 earth-sized objects along its diameter. So, when the Station
crossed paths with our own bright star, it looked so tiny in comparison to that orange
backdrop that’s still humungous despite being almost 100 million miles away!
It’s an incredible picture, and it even got NASA’s attention! They recently chose
it as their Astronomy Photo of the Day. They also included a statement, explaining that
it’s not really unusual for the ISS to transit the sun. The shocking thing is that Colacurcio
was able to get her timing and equipment just right for a spectacular image.
Another interesting detail is that there were no sunspots visible when she snapped the picture
at that moment. That’s a pretty rare occurrence, but now would be a better time than ever for
there to be absolutely no spots on the sun. You see, our star is currently in a phase
called a “Solar Minima” when you don’t really see much sunspot activity.
Yes, sunspots are temporary, so they come and go, sometimes lasting for months. They
appear because of magnetic fields reducing the temperature on the sun’s surface. They
look darker because they’re cooler. Hotter areas burn bright, kinda like when you heat
metal and it glows orange. These spots might look teeny tiny from here on Earth, but they
can actually be as big as a planet!
Still, nobody knows why there aren't ANY spots in the photo, even if the sun is going through
a regular phase of decreased activity. These periods, known as a solar cycle, usually last
an average of 11 years. But get this: when there’s a lot of activity on the sun’s
surface, it can create auroras, effect electric grids, and even interfere with radio signals
here on Earth!
Anyway, Colacurcio’s picture is actually a composite of two separate photos. One was
of the Space Station crossing paths with the sun, and the other was an image of the surface
of the sun itself. Both pictures were taken simultaneously and then sort of “sewn”
together.
And guess what? You can also take a picture of the ISS! You'll first need to set up a
tripod or mount in a place that won't experience any sort of vibrations. Set up a webcam on
the mount so that it’s looking through a telescope. Use an app such as ISS Transit
Finder to track the station’s path. You then shoot a short video magnified through
the telescope. After that, use an image-enhancing program to make a composite of all the frames
to pull together an awesome shot that could get you some praise and respect from NASA!
Or, of course, you can do it the easy way and just grab a DSLR camera or some other
camera that can take long exposures. The most important thing is that the tripod or mount
doesn’t budge the whole time. Find the ISS and basically point and shoot when the station
is passing through!
So, you look at the picture, and you might wonder, “What’s going on in that little
TIE-fighter-looking black speck against all that orange bubbly hotness?” Glad you asked!
The current ISS crew has been working on growing plants, and they plan to grow some Espanola
chili peppers this November! Because, ya know, posing for an epic picture in front of the
sun wasn’t hot enough as is! Jokes aside, NASA is looking for something hardy that doesn't
grow too tall. Now, this is a big undertaking because it’ll be their first fruit grown
entirely in space.
Growing food is essential for astronauts on long-term missions. And fruits are perfect,
especially these chilies, since they’re packed with health-boosting Vitamin C. Space
gardens will be a major step up from the vacuum-packed food we’ve come to associate with an astronaut’s
typical diet. Plus, it’s just downright necessary to grow from scratch when you’re
on a major time-consuming mission, like building a lunar station or colonizing Mars! A space
garden would also be a way to produce oxygen, recycle compostable waste, and maybe make
space residents feel a little more at home!
In 2015, astronaut Scott Kelly and others made history by growing zinnias as part of
a gardening program. They used a contraption called “Veggie” which pretty much serves
as a little onboard greenhouse for plant cultivation in space. Veggie is bringing to light the
effects of low gravity and radiation on plants. It also helps astronauts determine how much
water the plants need and how to manage things like mold.
The crew has to monitor the lighting and moisture levels really carefully. I mean, it’s hard
enough keeping a houseplant alive, so just imagine how precise they need to be in a space
station with no direct sunlight or even gravity! Seeds are first planted in Kevlar pouches
coated in Teflon. These pouches, or “plant pillows” as they’re called, contain soil,
fertilizer, water wicks, and, of course, the seeds. Veggie works together with the Advanced
Plant Habitat, a smaller, automated lab that has more than 180 sensors and automatic watering.
So, yeah, ISS astronauts are up there trying to create a viable food source for us in the
future once we start colonizing other celestial bodies! Currently, there are plans for the
ISS to be operational through 2024 and maybe even to 2028. But after that, there’s nothing
on the agenda yet. It may be recycled and used for future projects such as other space
stations. Until then, we can all just applaud the important work they’re doing and snap
a cool picture when we see the right opportunity!
So how about you? Would you like to visit the International Space Station? Let me know
in the comments below! If you learned something new today, then give this video a like and
share it with a friend. But – hey! – don't go starting your own space garden just yet!
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