Personalized International Space Station bedtime book
Humans have lived inside the ISS for 27 years. Every 90 minutes it sees a sunrise. Tonight your kid is sleeping on board.
The International Space Station floats 400 kilometres above us — much closer than people think. It orbits the whole Earth in 90 minutes, so its six-person crew sees 16 sunrises a day. Inside there's a treadmill strapped to the ceiling, a toilet that sucks instead of flushes, and a seven-sided glass cupola that looks back home.
In the storybook, your kid spends one night up there. laIA draws the sleeping bag attached to the wall — in zero gravity you don't need a bed, you just need to not float away — and the astronaut on duty (we rotate who it is by month) teaches them how to brush their teeth without losing the toothpaste. Before the lights go out, the two of them watch the night sweep across Europe through the cupola.
The story explains the things kids ask about: how you cry in zero gravity (tears stay stuck to your face, they don't fall), how you sleep without a pillow, what the cupola sees when the ISS flies over the UK. It ends on a true detail: if your kid looks up twice on a clear night, they might actually catch the ISS passing overhead twice.
What kids love about this mission
- The seven-sided cupola where you can see all of Earth.
- 16 sunrises in a single day.
- The sleeping bag floating, held in place by one strap.
- The trick to brushing your teeth without losing the toothpaste.
The real science
The real part: the station orbits at about 400 km, laps Earth every 90 minutes, has been continuously inhabited since the year 2000, has a seven-windowed cupola, and is visible to the naked eye from the back garden. The story part: your kid isn't really aboard and the astronaut isn't really their teacher. We keep the border clear between what truly happens up there and the magic of the story.
Age fit: Best for ages 3–9. It's one of the calmest stories in the catalogue — floating, watching Earth, sleeping — and leaves the lovely idea of going out to spot the real station in the sky.
Pick ISS in Guided mode. laIA draws your kid floating with their plushie inside the cupola, looking down at Earth.
Create your ISS story →Frequently asked questions
What is the International Space Station?
It's a laboratory about the size of a football pitch floating roughly 400 km above Earth, continuously crewed since the year 2000. It circles the whole planet every 90 minutes. In the storybook, your kid spends one night aboard.
Do astronauts really see 16 sunrises a day?
Yes. Because the station loops Earth every 90 minutes, the crew crosses the day side and the night side 16 times in 24 hours. That's why the light keeps changing through the glass cupola in the story.
Can you see the ISS from home?
Yes, with the naked eye: on the right nights it crosses the sky like a very bright, moving star. The story ends by inviting your kid to look for it — a lovely way to connect the book to the real sky.
What age is it for, and does my child appear?
For children aged 3 to 9. You upload a photo and laIA draws your kid floating with their plushie inside the cupola, looking down at Earth. Photos are deleted after 30 days.
Other missions
Read the pillar guide: space mission stories for kids.