LA VIDA DIARIA EN LA ISS

A workday... with 16 sunrises

Since the ISS completes one orbit of Earth every 90 minutes, its crew sees the Sun rise and set about 16 times a day. To avoid schedule chaos, the station runs on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), with a fixed schedule that splits the day into blocks for work, meals, exercise, and sleep, just like on Earth, regardless of what's happening outside the window.

Sleeping in zero gravity

Each crew member has their own individual sleep station, roughly the size of a phone booth, with a sleeping bag strapped to the wall so they don't drift freely during the night. Without gravity there's no "up" or "down," so sleep stations can face any direction relative to the rest of the station. NASA recommends 8.5 hours of sleep, though in practice many astronauts sleep somewhat less, partly due to the novelty of the first few days and partly because of the constant noise from the fans and pumps that keep air circulating (without gravity, air doesn't move on its own, so without ventilation the CO2 a sleeper exhales would pool around their head).

What astronauts eat

Today's space food is a long way from the pureed tubes of the 1960s: the crew chooses from a menu of more than 200 dishes, many rehydratable (hot water is added before eating) and others ready to heat, packaged so they don't produce loose crumbs that could float around and damage equipment or be inhaled. Drinks like coffee or juice are sipped through a straw from sealed bags. Each partner agency contributes part of its own menu, so alongside "standard" international food, Russian, Japanese, and European astronauts get country-specific dishes adapted for space, and there are even special dinners for occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Why they do two hours of mandatory exercise a day

Without gravity's resistance, bones lose density (up to 1-1.5% a month in some areas) and muscles atrophy quickly. To slow this down, each crew member spends about two hours a day training on three main pieces of equipment: a treadmill with harnesses holding the astronaut against the surface (T2/COLBERT), a stationary bike with no traditional seat, and ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device), a vacuum-resistance machine that simulates weightlifting without needing actual mass. Without this routine, a long mission could leave an astronaut with serious bone and muscle loss comparable to decades of aging.

Personal hygiene without a conventional shower or toilet

There are no showers with falling water: it would just float around the cabin in droplets. Instead, astronauts use wet wipes, a special no-rinse soap, and dry shampoo. The toilet uses an air-suction system instead of water, with an individual funnel for urine (recycled, as explained in our ISS technical guide) and a suction seat for solid waste, which is stored and later burned up on re-entry along with non-reusable cargo ships.

Free time and contact with Earth

Weekends are usually lighter on tasks, and the crew has access to limited internet, video calls with family, e-books, and even the ability to watch movies. Many astronauts spend part of their free time on photography, taking advantage of the views from the Cupola, or on outreach, answering students' questions by radio or video. Sunday mornings are typically set aside for family calls and more relaxed personal hygiene, though emergencies or experiments with fixed time windows can disrupt any plan.

Quick questions

How long can an astronaut stay on the ISS?

Standard missions last four to six months, though there have been stays of over a year, like astronaut Frank Rubio's (371 days) or cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov's, whose record for continuous time in space (438 days, aboard the Mir station) still stands.

Can you cry in space?

Yes, but tears don't fall: they stay stuck to the eye by surface tension, forming a ball of liquid, which can be uncomfortable or even irritating unless wiped away by hand or with a towel.

What happens if someone gets sick?

The ISS carries an advanced medical kit and telemedicine protocols with doctors on the ground; for serious emergencies, there's always a docked spacecraft (Soyuz or Crew Dragon) ready for an emergency return within hours.