During a live downlink hosted by the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today asked CAPT Scott Kelly and Dr. Kjell Lindgren, both NASA Astronauts working and living on the International Space Station, about their current orbit and scientific research projects.
Rep. Hultgren is an original cosponsor of the SPACE Act of 2015, H.R. 2262, which the President recently signed, extending the life of the International Space Station through at least 2024.
Quick facts about the International Space Station, courtesy NASA:
· It is roughly the size of a football field including end zones and has livable space for six astronauts.
· It is in orbit 260 miles above the Earth and is traveling at 17,000 miles per hour.
· The station orbits Earth every 90 minutes.
· The station has been continuously occupied since November 2000. In that time, more than 200 people from 15 countries have visited.
· Crew members spend about 35 hours each week conducting research in many disciplines to advance scientific knowledge in Earth, space, physical, and biological sciences for the benefit of people living on our home planet.
· The station facilitates the growth of a robust commercial market in low-Earth orbit, operating as a national laboratory for scientific research and facilitating the development of U.S. commercial cargo and commercial crew space transportation capabilities.
· More than an acre of solar arrays provide power to the station, and also make it the next brightest object in the night sky after the moon.
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