Monday marks the 15th anniversary of continuous residency at the International Space Station, the AP reports. The station was launched in 1998, the BBC reports, and first permanent crew moved in on Nov. 2, 2000. It's planned to be decommissioned in 2020. Eight fun ISS facts to celebrate the 15-year milestone:
- In the past 15 years, 220 people from 17 countries have come and gone at the space station; more than 26,500 meals have been served, and the complex has expanded from three rooms to 13.
- Two of those rooms are bathrooms; there's also a gym and a 360-degree bay window. The space station has more livable room than a typical 6-bedroom house, NASA notes.
- And some of those meals? Shrimp cocktail and macaroni & cheese are among the favorites.
- The ISS is 250 miles away from Earth and is the second brightest object in our night sky (our moon being the very brightest).