For the past 20 years, we have been a space-faring civilization,

which is something that when you say it, you kind of have to stop and let it sink in

and realize that really shouldn't be taken for granted.

Welcome to NASA's curious universe.

I'm Patty Boyd, and in this podcast, NASA is your tour guide.

250 miles above Earth's surface, a scientific laboratory orbits around our planet.

Here, astronauts serve as the eyes and hands of researchers on the ground.

This is the International Space Station.

And 2020 marks the 20th year since the first humans occupied it.

Three, two, one.

We have ignition, we have ignition and lift off,

beginning the first expedition to the International Space Station

and setting the stage for permanent human presence in space.

Following that first crew, there has been a continuous human presence aboard the station.

So if you were born after November in the year 2000, someone has been living in outer space

throughout your entire life.

Over 240 humans from 19 countries have lived aboard the space station,

including European Space Agency, or ESA astronaut, Samantha Christopher Reddy.

The International Space Station, the way I like to refer to it as

humanities outpost in space.

In 2014, Samantha became the first female Italian astronaut and the second Issa female

astronaut to go to space. And once she arrived at the space station, she stayed for a long time,

...