Space travelers
The first human in space was the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who made one orbit around Earth on April 12, 1961, on a flight that lasted 108 minutes. After him, over 600 people have gone to space. People have travelled all the way to the moon, first time in 1969. And latest time in 1972. Since 2000, humans have been living in International Space Station (ISS) constantly.
What do they do on the International Space Station?
Astronauts and cosmonauts on the space station stay busy. It's lots of work to operate the many science experiments on board. The crew also has to make sure that the station is in top shape, so they clean, check equipment, maintain and repair or replace broken equipment. Crew members must also exercise two hours each day to stay fit and keep their bones and muscles strong. Sometimes they need to do a spacewalk to work outside the station in a space suit. The extra-vehicular activities, or EVAs, help keep the space station running.
The ISS missions, called expeditions, usually last about 6 months. There are three to six crewmembers on board at all times. Professional astronaut crews come from the U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe. Valeri Polyakov, a Russian cosmonaut, spent 437 days in space during one mission.
Did you know?
The first animal to make an orbital spaceflight around the Earth was the dog Laika, aboard the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 on 3 November 1957.
