Life in Space

For 20 years, space travelers from more than 15 countries have journeyed to the International Space Station (ISS), a giant laboratory that orbits Earth. American astronaut Christina Koch is one of them. In February, she returned home to Texas as a record-setter! Koch had spent 328 consecutive days in space. It was the longest single spaceflight ever by a woman.

Astronauts like Koch spend months at a time on the ISS conducting important experiments. Scientists hope their findings will prepare astronauts for future missions to Mars and beyond. Over the past two decades, the ISS has grown from a few small sections, called modules, to a station the size of a football field.

So what’s it like to live and work more than 200 miles above Earth? Koch says it’s a lot different than life on our planet. Here’s how.

For 20 years, space travelers from more than 15 countries have journeyed to the International Space Station (ISS). That's a giant laboratory that orbits Earth. Astronaut Christina Koch is one of them. In February, she returned home to Texas as a record-setter! Koch had spent 328 consecutive days in space. It was the longest single spaceflight ever by a woman.

Astronauts like Koch spend months at a time on the ISS. They conduct experiments. Scientists hope their findings will prepare astronauts for future missions to Mars and beyond. Over the past two decades, the ISS has grown from a few small sections to a station the size of a football field.

So what's it like to live and work more than 200 miles above Earth? Koch says it's a lot different than life on our planet. Here's how.

The pull of gravity is much weaker in space, causing objects and people to float. Koch says she spent a lot of time upside down feeling like the floor was the ceiling. This can make sleeping tricky. So astronauts on the ISS zip themselves into sleeping bags that are strapped to the walls or ceilings to keep them in place.

“It’s a lot of fun, as long as you don’t mind looking silly,” Koch says.

The pull of gravity is much weaker in space. That causes objects and people to float. Koch says she spent a lot of time upside down feeling like the floor was the ceiling. This can make sleeping tricky. So astronauts on the ISS zip themselves into sleeping bags. They are strapped to the walls or ceilings to keep them in place.

"It's a lot of fun, as long as you don't mind looking silly," Koch says.

In October 2019, Koch and fellow astronaut Jessica Meir became the first all-female team to conduct a spacewalk. They put on spacesuits that allowed them to breathe. Then they floated out into space to change a battery on the outside of the ISS.

“It almost feels like you’re just hanging or falling,” Koch says. “But you’re not—you’re attached to the space station.”

In October 2019, Koch and fellow astronaut Jessica Meir became the first all-female team to conduct a spacewalk. They put on spacesuits that allowed them to breathe. Then they floated out into space to change a battery on the outside of the ISS.

"It almost feels like you're just hanging or falling," Koch says. "But you're not. You're attached to the space station."

The ISS doesn’t have any refrigerators, so food is freeze-dried and lasts for months. Most meals are mashed up and slurped from pouches. What about drinks?

“Our liquid waste actually gets turned back into our drinking water!” says Koch.

Don’t worry. It goes through a special filtration system first.

The ISS doesn't have any refrigerators. So food is freeze-dried and lasts for months. Most meals are mashed up and slurped from pouches. What about drinks?

"Our liquid waste actually gets turned back into our drinking water!" says Koch.

Don't worry. It goes through a special cleaning system first..

Astronauts on the ISS spend a lot of time doing experiments, like testing how different foods can be grown in space. So far, more than 3,000 research projects have been done on the ISS.

Since the station is basically one big science lab, there’s little separation between where astronauts sleep and where they work.

“Wake up, come out of your bedroom and, boom, you’re in the workplace,” says Koch.

Astronauts on the ISS spend do experiments, like testing how different foods can be grown in space. So far, more than 3,000 research projects have been done on the ISS.

The station is basically one big science lab. There's little separation between where astronauts sleep and where they work.

"Wake up, come out of your bedroom and, boom, you're in the workplace," says Koch.