Astronauts visiting the International Space Station (ISS) typically spend about six months there before returning to Earth, though it’s true that a number of them have ended up staying for considerably longer periods of time.
Living in cooped up conditions in microgravity, well away from family and friends, is a challenge for even the hardiest of folks, so how do astronauts aboard the ISS cope with their unusual surroundings 250 miles above Earth?
Well, a short video released by NASA on Thursday reveals how astronauts spend their downtime after workdays that can last as long as 14 hours.
How do astronauts unwind in space? Watch how they practice some of their favorite hobbies 250 miles above Earth. pic.twitter.com/q5eIHKOpxN
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 18, 2025
As you can see, activities can include everything from gym workouts and sports to photography and playing musical instruments.
“How they spend their free time is up to them,” the video’s narrator says, adding, “What’s important is preserving their mental health and finding outlets to relax and destress.”
Photography has always been a popular pastime for many astronauts visiting the space station. The orbital outpost has a selection of professional DSLR cameras and lenses available for use, with most astronauts heading to the seven-window Cupola to snap images of Earth and beyond.
Some crew members go to great lengths to plan their photography sessions, working out beforehand precisely which part of Earth the ISS will be passing over at any given time, and then selecting specific moments to photograph areas of interest — so long as there’s no cloud cover, that is.
On his two visits to the space station, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet earned a reputation for taking incredible images of Earth, some of which you can see in this Tech Reader article. He even turned his hobby into a book after returning from his second ISS trip in 2021.
Don Pettit is another astronaut who loved to photograph what he saw outside the Cupola, dazzling earthlings with some stunning imagery captured across his multiple trips to the space station.
For more on how astronauts live and work aboard the ISS, check out these videos made by past crew members.
