The International Space Station (ISS), orbiting about 400 kilometres above Earth, is one of humanity’s most extraordinary scientific achievements. It functions as both a home and a research laboratory where astronauts from different countries live and work for extended periods. Life in space is far from ordinary. With limited resources, zero gravity, and isolation from the planet, astronauts face physical and mental challenges every day. But they also experience breathtaking views, scientific discovery, and the unique experience of floating in microgravity. One lesser-known aspect is the strange, metallic smell that lingers after spacewalks, giving space a scent of its own.

What is the daily schedule of astronauts at ISS

Life aboard the ISS is unlike anything on Earth. The space station, roughly the size of an American football field, serves as both a home and a laboratory for astronauts. It usually hosts around six to nine astronauts at a time, but with occasional visitors like Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the number can go up temporarily.
Daily life is governed by a strict schedule managed by controllers on Earth. Days start early, and time is divided into 5-minute increments. Astronauts rise from their sleeping pods, compact chambers the size of a locker, and begin their day. Each pod contains a laptop, communication tools, and a few drawers for personal items.

Science, sweat, and spacewalks: A routine packed with experiments and exercises

Much of the day is spent conducting scientific experiments, maintaining the station, and exercising. The ISS houses six labs where astronauts monitor their bodies, testing how space impacts their hearts, bones, and muscles. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield once said, “We are like laboratory animals,” referring to the research conducted on human health in microgravity.
Exercise is crucial. Astronauts work out for two hours each day using special machines to counteract the effects of weightlessness on their bones and muscles. As Nicole Scott, who spent over 100 days aboard the ISS, puts it, “Space can age your bones faster than Earth ever could.”

How often do astronauts change clothes

Despite all the effort, astronauts sweat, but there are no washing machines. Clothes don’t get dirty as fast in space due to reduced contact with the body, so they wear garments longer than usual. Eventually, old clothes are packed into cargo capsules and burned up during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

How do astronauts eat

Mealtimes are a communal affair. Food is delivered in dehydrated packets or vacuum-sealed containers, rehydrated before eating, and often categorised by the astronauts’ home country. Favourites include Japanese curry, Russian soup, and occasionally, treats sent from family back on Earth. Bread is replaced by tortillas to avoid floating crumbs, which can be hazardous in zero gravity.

Free time and entertainment

After a long day, astronauts relax by calling their families, watching Earth from the Cupola observatory, listening to music, or journaling. Hadfield, a former commander of the ISS, often played guitar and wrote music during his downtime.

What does space smell like

The “smell of space” is one of the most fascinating aspects of astronaut life. According to Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, when astronauts return from a spacewalk, their suits and tools carry a strange scent. Described as a metallic or burnt odour, like hot metal or welding fumes, this smell comes from the interaction of cosmic radiation with the outer layers of the equipment. It is so distinct that astronauts often associate it with space itself.

The psychological and physical toll

Living in confined quarters, isolated from family, and surrounded by mechanical hums makes sleep difficult. The designated sleep time is eight hours, but many astronauts find it hard to rest, instead choosing to gaze down at Earth, glowing silently below.
NASA carefully selects astronauts for their mental strength, calmness, and ability to work in teams. These are essential traits for surviving the demanding and isolated conditions of space.

With that in mind, and considering how many are now planning their summer holidays, we’ve put together a list of handy features that are sure to come in useful during your travels. Read on for the details.

Know Local Air Quality

Nowadays, when it comes to major cities and hotspots in any city, chances are the air quality might not be the best. And if you’re particular about it, you can now check local air quality in that specific area. All you need to do is open the Google Maps app.

Tap on the little icon that sits below your profile. You can tap on it, and then you’ll see various map types and map details. Simply select ‘Air Quality’ under map details, and here you’ll see air quality for local regions.

For instance, if you want to go to Chandni Chowk, you can tap on it, and it will reflect the local air quality.

This can come in quite handy, especially if you’re considering whether to pack a mask or not.

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Use Google Timeline To Track A Place You Visited

How many times has it happened that you visited a specific place while travelling, but because it was an unfamiliar city, you couldn’t recall exactly where it was? Imagine the place served really good pasta, but now you simply can’t remember where it was.

To go back and identify the place, simply open the Timeline in your Google Maps app. But it’s important that you enable this feature in the first place by adjusting your Google Maps permission settings. Using this, you can track your whereabouts from a specific day. It will show your complete activity on the map, allowing you to trace where you went and identify the location.

Check Ticket Prices For Monuments

Imagine you’re visiting New Delhi and want to visit Humayun’s Tomb. In this case, you can simply search for the monument on Google Maps and scroll down to see ticket prices. You’ll find official site prices as well as some third-party listings. You’ll also see information including timings and more.

Scout A Specific Place Beforehand

Keeping the Humayun’s Tomb example in mind, you can check out a location before visiting it. When you search for a place, you’ll see a 360-degree icon above the name. Tap on it to access the local Street View. You can navigate your way around using the arrows, giving you a preview of the area you’re about to visit.

You can also do the same via map details by selecting ‘Street View’. Tap on a specific street and a preview will load.

Download Maps Offline For Places Where There Is No Cellular Reception

If you’re visiting an unfamiliar place and unsure about signal reception, specially in the mountains, considering many of us travel there during peak summer, you should definitely download that specific map offline.

This ensures you don’t lose your way and can navigate easily, even without cellular reception.

Mobile Finder: iPhone 16 LATEST Price, Specs And More

Celestial events have fascinated scientists and astronomers for centuries, yielding valuable insights into the operation of our solar system. The most dramatic of these are solar eclipses—brief periods when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the light of the sun partially or fully. Some eclipses can be seen from the Earth, while others can be seen only from space. Thanks to advanced satellites like NASA‘s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which monitors the sun around the clock in high definition, these otherwise invisible phenomena are captured in stunning detail. These observations enhance our understanding of solar activity and its interactions with nearby stars.

NASA’s SDO captures rare solar eclipse visible only from space

Sunday, April 27th, brought a rare astral event-one that could not be seen on Earth. There was a partial solar eclipse wherein the moon intercepted between the Earth and sun and blocked about 23% of the face of the sun. The eclipse itself, however, was only observable from space. Luckily, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a satellite orbiting Earth that constantly watches the sun, captured images of the occurrence.
The SDO, which started in 2010, has tools that can view the sun at high definition. It took stunning, unbroken photographs of the event, a “lunar transit.” In this kind of eclipse, the moon appears to be a dark, giant sphere creeping gradually across the sun’s radiating face. Since earthbound observers had no idea that this space event was occurring, the spaceborne location of the SDO allowed it to film the eclipse from beginning to end, giving researchers valuable information and the average observer a glimpse at an event impossible on the surface.
This is just one aspect of a broader NASA initiative to monitor solar activity in real time, allowing us to more precisely witness how the sun acts when it comes into contact with other space objects—even when the interactions cannot be seen from Earth.

What is the Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a standalone satellite that is responsible for monitoring the sun around the clock. Having been launched by NASA in February 2010, SDO orbits the Earth and is positioned in front of the sun to provide never-before-seen information on solar activity. Its ability to capture high-definition photos has made it an important tool in tracking solar events, including lunar transits, eclipses, and solar flares. During its working lifetime, the spacecraft observed numerous eclipses, several of which human observers on Earth were not able to witness.

NASA eyes more eclipses as SDO builds on historic observations

NASA has already forecasted two more eclipses to take place in the next few months. The first will be on May 25, with the moon only covering 4% of the sun. The second will be a darker eclipse on July 25, with the moon to cover 62% of the sun. Both these upcoming eclipses will also likely be seen and photographed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, increasing our understanding of the sun and how it acts compared to the moon. Historical Background of Solar Eclipses from Space
It is not the first instance where eclipses were witnessed beyond the atmosphere. There have been such instances, as during the Apollo missions, where astronauts during moon missions were fortunate enough to experience solar eclipses in their initial flights. Such observations are still of gargantuan significance in space history and solar phenomenon research.

From blood moons to solar eclipses: What’s next in the sky

Apart from the partial solar eclipse picture captured by SDO, NASA has even witnessed lunar eclipses such as this year’s Blood Moon. A lunar eclipse is when the moon, Earth, and sun are in line with Earth casting a shadow upon the moon. The moon moves completely into the inner shadow of Earth, or umbra, during a total lunar eclipse. The moon turns dark red, and it is this that creates the appearance that we know as a “Blood Moon.”
In the distance are some eclipses worth looking at. Next in line are a set of some eclipses worth watching. The next solar eclipse to watch on Earth is Sept. 21 and observable from Antarctica, South Pacific, and New Zealand. Perhaps the most highly expected one, however, is the Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse. It is visible only once in a year and is visible only on a thin path of totality that goes through eastern Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain. The moon completely covers the path of the sun in a total eclipse, presenting the observers with a view of the corona of the sun—a view that is witnessed only except for a total eclipse.
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