Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

We can’t take bus trips right now but, thanks to the internet, we can explore the world from the comfort of our homes. Every Wednesday, we’re presenting a series of links to cultural institutions in Chicago and beyond. Today we’ll go far from Chicago by visiting the International Space Station.

A joint project among several countries: the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada the International Space Station was first started in 1998, when Russian and American space modules were joined together. Modules and laboratories have been added ever since, growing the ISS and providing opportunities to advance human knowledge and commercial innovation here on Earth.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Drew Morgan take you on a unique tour of the International Space Station in one long camera shot.

Become a home astronaut with interesting science experiments and activities at home just like astronauts do on the space station.

Listen to astronaut Chris Hadfield perform David Bowie’s Space Oddity from the ISS. Then, see what he has to say about the truth behind space myths.

You can see the ISS from the ground with the naked eye! Find out when you can watch the International Space Station pass overhead. It is the third brightest object in the sky and easy to spot if you know when to look up.