Science on the ISS

Jack Stewart marks Space Week on the World Service with a programme devoted to humans on the International Space Station and their achievements.

At the Cosmonauts exhibition at the Science Museum in London he talks to curator Doug Millard about the USSR’s space programme from the 1950s to 1990s. British astronaut Helen Sharman’s space suit is on display and she recalls her 8 day visit to the space station Mir in 1991.

Veteran Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield explains the science experiments he carried out on the ISS.

Andrew Kuh from UK Space Agency, where he is responsible for microgravity research argues that the work done in space is more than just inspirational, and it does have applications that impact us all. He cites work on metals and on human ageing.

Life in space is tough on humans. For example, astronauts often experience visual problems because fluids in the body shift when there is no gravity. Dr Robert Marchbanks and Dr Tony Birch of Southampton General Ho