The International Space Station (ISS) completes 20 years of being placed in space. 11 countries including USA, Russia, Japan, Canada collaborated to establish ISS. The ISS is in orbit with an average altitude of 330 km. The space station makes a full orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes, which means that the space station has an average speed of five miles per second. Know some interesting things-
- So far, 241 passengers from 19 countries have visited the International Space Station. Among them are Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams of India. Kalpana died while returning from ISS in the year 1997.
- In 90 minutes, the ISS makes a round of the Earth i.e. 16 revolutions in 24 hours.
- The space station is -240 feet in length and 357 feet in width.
- It weighs -419,725 kg, the heaviest object sent by man in space.
- 136 flights and took part of the station to space.
- American astronaut Peggy Whitson holds the record for the most 665 days in space.