Life on the ISS At 6 a.m. (Greenwich Mean Time) the ISS inhabitants wake up to an alarm over the loudspeaker, and get out of their sleeping bags that are strapped to the walls. For the next hour, the astronauts do three complicated tasks. Eat breakfast, go to the bathroom, and take a shower. They also change clothes, but without the convenience of a washer or dryer, they change into disposable clothes Now, the first three astronauts on the ISS are making sure that everything works and is up and ready for the next crew. The main things they are working on are making sure the systems for having clean air, clean water, and electricity work. The system for having clean air is not as complex as the other systems, but is still complicated. All of the hydrogen on board is put out into space, because it is highly flammable. The carbon dioxide that is exhaled during a breath is also put into space. All water on the ISS is used. The water is filtered out after going to the bathroom. Lab rats are going to be brought to the ISS so when they perspire, water is filtered out of their sweat. Even the water vapor from exhaling will be used. Electricity is needed to power everything on board. Eight solar panels are used to convert sunlight into electricity.