Top 10 facts about the ISS as astronaut Timothy Peake heads to space

The ISS circles the Earth every 90 minutes at a speed of almost five miles a second

 

BRITISH astronaut Timothy Peake is scheduled today to board Soyuz TMA-19M for his trip to the International Space Station.

 

1. The first space station was the Soviet Union’s Mir in 1986. Mir means peace. 

2. The agreement to build an International Space Station was signed by USA, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada in 1993. It was completed in 2011. 

3. The dimensions of the ISS are about 356 feet by 240 feet, which is bigger than a football pitch.

 

Because of a lack of funding the ISS is scheduled to be taken out of orbit next year

 

In 2014 the International Space Station was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but it lost out to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai

 

4. It weighs 450 tons and relies on solar panel arrays and rechargeable nickel-hydrogen batteries. 

5. Having cost $100billion or more, it may be the world’s most expensive single object. 

6. The ISS circles the Earth every 90 minutes at a speed of almost five miles a second. 

7. The ISS is always occupied and has a crew of six people. It also has greenhouses, a laboratory, a gym and a sleep station.

The ISS is always occupied and has a crew of six peopl

The first space station was the Soviet Union’s Mir in 1986

8. In 2014 the International Space Station was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but it lost out to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai. 

9. Because of a lack of funding the ISS is scheduled to be taken out of orbit next year. 

10. Many of these facts and much more may be found in the International Space Station Owners’ Workshop Manual, by David Baker published by Haynes.