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ISS astronaut Hadfield 2013: In orbit with David Bowie
Photo: NASA / DPA
You can rely on this appearance in the sky.
The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the earth 16 times a day.
It flies 400 kilometers high, and thanks to its huge awnings, it is often visible to the naked eye.
If you see it in the twilight, it often appears brighter than Venus and faster than a jet, so like something completely alien.
The ISS has long since lost all appeal to science fiction: the outpost in space is getting old.
Parts of it have been shooting through orbit since 1998.
People have lived in it continuously for exactly 20 years.
The space station has been in manned operation for more than twice as long as the former Soviet record holder "Mir".
Now the third decade of the ISS begins - it will probably be the last.
When the first space travelers arrived on November 2, 2000, two Russians and one American, they found a cold, empty 40 square meter dwelling that had to be floated first.
Back then there was a lack of battery power, water and oxygen, but not energy.
The plan was for the space station to remain in operation for at least 15 years and deliver revolutionary research results from weightlessness, for example on the structure of proteins.
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