HOW TO GET TO THE ISS
Explore the key steps that take astronauts from Earth to the International Space Station
Words by Ailsa Harvey
© Getty
Since the first piece of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched into orbit in November 1998, it’s become the ideal laboratory to test and explore our space knowledge. Orbiting Earth at an altitude of around 250 miles, the station has housed astronauts every day since November 2000.
Some of the most important knowledge the ISS has provided us with is how prolonged exposure to the space environment can affect the human body. It has also proven that a long-term human presence in space is possible. Over 240 people have experienced life aboard this satellite, carrying out experiments on machines, plants, animals and themselves. But how did these astronauts make it from our planet to their temporary low-gravity home?