2000 vs Now: 15 Years of Humans on Space Station
Humans have been living in space aboard the International Space Station 24-7-365 since Nov. 2, 2000. That’s 15 Thanksgivings, New Years, and holiday seasons astronauts have spent away from their families. 15 years of constant support from Mission Control Houston. And 15 years of peaceful international living in space.
In November 2000, many of us stuck on Earth wished we could join (at least temporarily) the Expedition 1 crew aboard the International Space Station. Floating effortlessly from module to module, looking down on Earth from a breathtaking height of 350 kilometers.... It's a dream come true for innumerable space lovers.
But be careful what you wish for! Living on the Space Station also means hard work, cramped quarters, and... what's that smell? Probably more outgassing from a scientific experiment or, worse yet, a crewmate.
To get a feel of how long ago that was, this is what the world looked like then vs. now:
2000: Eminem released The Real Slim Shady
Now: Scott Kelly listens to Eminem from space as part of his “Songs of a Year In Space” Spotify playlist
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2000: Cell phones were entering the mainstream
Now: Astronauts can video chat with their friends and family from space
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2000: Tom Hanks was left alone on an island in Cast Away
Now: Matt Damon is stranded on the planet Mars in The Martian
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2000: Scott Kelly had just returned from his first spaceflight on Space Shuttle Discovery to service the Hubble Telescope
Now: Scott Kelly is spending a year aboard the International Space Station for the longest mission ever embarked upon by a U.S. astronaut.
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2000: The Playstation 2 was released
Now: A Hololens is planned to be shipped to the space station aboard SpaceX
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2000: You were instant messaging your friends from your desktop
Now: Astronauts have access to Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Instagram and Pinterest FROM SPACE
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2000: Britney went to Mars in her “Oops!...I Did It Again” music video
Now: One Direction trains for the journey to Mars in their “Drag Me Down” music video
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2000: The International Space Station was under construction
Now: It is approximately the size of an American football field and weighs nearly 1 million pounds
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2000: Space was on the cover of Time Magazine
Now: Space is on the cover of Time Magazine
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2000: Inflatable furniture was a thing
Now: An inflatable space module is a thing
What differences do you remember from 2000? Tweet it to us at @Space_Station using #15YearsOnStation.
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