Cosmonauts and Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) will celebrate New Year's Day 16 times as they path the Earth once every 90 minutes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a blog post. That equates to 16 sunrise and sunsets while circling 402.3 kilometres above our planet Earth, the Space agency said.

The astronauts are researching life science studies to help mission doctors keep astronauts healthier and stronger while living in outer space.

The six-member team comprising of three US astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts and a Japanese astronaut will go into the last weekend of 2017 with light duty and family conferences before taking New Year’s Day off.

Ahead of the New Year, the astronauts are researching life science studies to help mission doctors keep astronauts healthier and stronger while living in outer space. Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai took his turn on the exercise bike for a study researching physical exertion in space, NASA said.

Doctors measure the astronauts breathing and other parameters during exercise to ensure they have the strength to perform strenuous activities such as spacewalks and even emergency procedures. The life science studies help mission doctors keep astronauts healthier and stronger while living in outer space.

Scientists are exploring how plants respond to microgravity and observe molecular and genetic changes. The US space agency is planning longer human missions beyond low-Earth orbit and learning how to keep crews self-sustainable.