There’s a bright object in the sky that we don’t often pay attention to. Not the moon, not Sirius! I’m referring to the International Space Station, which happens to be among the most noticeable objects in the vastness of the sky above us! It can be seen around the horizon specifically during sunsets, and can be identified based on the orbital speed with which it travels (a whopping 7.66 km per second - that’s 15 times around the earth in one day!)

It is a really fascinating piece of human creation (and supposedly the most expensive thing created by us, having cost about $ 150 billion!) and has required an unprecedented level of technological cooperation between several nations (including those that aren’t politically friendly). But with the fact that this object is in space, and is managing to host missions to it and have astronauts onboard, we can safely say that it’s a successful project at the very least.

The deeper you delve into its operations and its modules, the more fascinating it gets. The ISS is a prime example of what can be used to successfully motivate someone to take up engineering as a career option (but unfortunately, not everyone will end up working on a project as amazing as the ISS).

This video explains quite nicely how the ISS was initially composed and how modules were added by various countries over the years. And then there’s live streaming from the ISS too, just in case someone’s interested in spying on the entire planet (though from 400 km away).

Now it’s time to find out ways to somehow make it to the ISS. Enough of this virtual touring.