How is time calculated in space?

Astronauts from different countries live on the International Space Station and perform various scientific experiments. The standard time of the countries of the astronauts on the space station is different.

So then, what standard time or time zone is considered the basis on the space station?

And how long are the days and nights there?

We all probably want to know about this.

You may find it strange that on Earth the sun rises and sets only once a day. But on the space station there is 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in 24 hours.

Thus, on the space station there is only 90 minutes of day and 90 minutes of night. Whereas on Earth this period is 12/12 hours. This is because the space station is orbiting the Earth at a very fast speed. The space station completes one orbit of the Earth in just 90 minutes.

While orbiting the Earth, the space station remains in sunlight for 45 minutes and in the shadow of the Earth for the remaining 45 minutes. The space station orbits 16 times in 24 hours, and there are 16 sunsets and 16 sunrises.

Similarly, when it comes to time zone, i.e. standard time, the International Space Station uses the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time zone so that there is no problem in coordination with different countries around the world. This standard time is also called Greenwich Mean Time.

In fact, astronauts from different countries work together on the space station, and each country has its own standard time zone. The use of UTC brings all mission control centers and astronauts under one system. This not only facilitates communication but also makes it easier to give orders. In space, astronauts from countries like the US, Russia, Britain and Japan work on a common universal standard time.