Hurtling through space at 17,500 miles per hour, the International Space Station (ISS) circles the entire globe roughly once every 90 minutes — which amounts to 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours. At any point in time, the station is home to no less than seven international crew members, with the station's living and working areas amounting to the size of an average six-bedroom house.
The ISS has undoubtedly become an iconic piece of human history, and on Nov. 20, NASA celebrated the station turning 25. This anniversary in particular feels a little bittersweet because the station itself is set to be decommissioned by 2030, as the structure will become too fatigued around then to be able to house astronauts safely. So, with an expiration date being placed on humanity's foothold in space, it's worth talking about what we've learned and why it matters.
