Page 6 - Cosmos Edition 3

SPOT THE STATION

Dear Students,

Are you aware of an object flying overhead from several thousand worldwide

locations?

It is the third brightest object in the sky and easy to spot if you know when to
look up. The amazing object is none other than the International Space Sta-

tion.

The International Space Station is a space station, a habitable artificial satel-

lite mostly found in
low Earth orbit. Its first

component was
launched into the
Earth’s orbit in 1998,

and is expected to op-

erate until 2030. This
is the largest man-
made body and con-

sists of pressurized
habitation modules,

solar arrays and radiators, docking ports, structural trusses, experiment bays
and robotic arms.

The space station serves as Earth’s only microgravity (gravity forces are not
quite zero, but just very small) and space environment( existing conditions in

space) research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in bi-
ology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and missions to the Moon and Mars.

The program “Spot the Station” helps us the sighting opportunities to view the
space station from your location. You need not require any special telescope

6