The space station is a spacecraft that stays in one place over the Earth.
It has work spaces and living spaces.
Teams of astronauts live and work on the space station.
A small space craft goes to the space station and locks on.
It brings new astronauts and supplies.
It takes home the astronauts who have been there for a while.
A brief history of space stations
Salyut 1, launched in April 1971 by the Soviet Union, was the first space station. Three cosmonauts travelled by spacecraft to Salyut 1, and lived in it for 24 days. Sadly, these cosmonauts died during their return to Earth.
Skylab was the first United States space station, which was launched into space in 1973. A crew of three astronauts performed many scientific experiments while living in the space station, including studying the effects of weightlessness on the human body, observing comets, and repairing damage to the space station. When it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere in 1979, Skylab disintegrated.
The reusable space shuttle was invented to provide a better and less expensive way of travelling to space stations. The first shuttle flight took place on 12 April 1981. Since then, space shuttle astronauts have been trained to build a permanent space station, and have practised on their space missions.
A space shuttle ©Getty
The Russian space station Mir, which means 'peace', was launched in 1986. Two cosmonauts crewed Mir. Together with American astronauts who visited in a space shuttle, they practised for the construction of an international space station. By 1999, Mir was close to the end of its useful life.
The International Space Station
In cooperation with the Russian cosmonauts, American astronauts began work on a permanent space station in 1998. It has been in operation since 1 November 2000.
It is called the International Space station because fifteen nations take part in its programs. It has permanent accommodation for six, and short-term accommodation for up to fifteen when a space shuttle visits.
From the International Space Station (ISS), pieces of which were built in fifteen countries, scientists will conduct research and experiments that are impossible to conduct on Earth.
The purpose of the ISS is to make it possible for long term exploration of space and to allow research into how humans cope living and working off the planet. This research is needed for future human exploration of space. New materials and technology will be tested.
The International Space Station is the largest space project so far undertaken and is the biggest structure ever to orbit the Earth. It is a research facility 400km above the Earth jointly operated by the space agencies of 16 countries: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, The United States.
It was assembled piece by piece in space, starting with a Russian module put into orbit in November, 1998. The first crew arrived two years later. Over fifty missions were required to assemble the entire thing. The expected life of the International Space Station is ten years.
Astronauts have been on the ISS continuously since November 2000. The long-term crews arrive and leave on Russian Soyuz craft. Until NASA retired its shuttle fleet, they too made trips to the ISS. Each two or three person crew stays on board for up to six months, carrying out experiments and doing maintenance work on the station.
The International Space Station must receive regular supplies from Earth, and resupply vehicles are used. At first the U.S. shuttle and Russian unmanned Progress ships brought all the food, water, air and spare parts that the crews need. However, in March 2008, a new supply vehicle called the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), was launched.
Each ATV will take five days to reach and dock with the ISS, remaining in place for six months. While docked, its engine will fire periodically to keep the ISS at a safe height above Earth’s atmosphere.
At the end of its time at the ISS, the ATV will loaded with up to 6.3 tonnes of rubbish, will undock and leave, after which it will burn up in the atmosphere.
The International Space Station must receive regular supplies from Earth, and resupply vehicles are used. At first the U.S. shuttle and Russian unmanned Progress ships brought all the food, water, air and spare parts that the crews need. However, in March 2008, a new supply vehicle called the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), was launched.
Each ATV will take five days to reach and dock with the ISS, remaining in place for six months. While docked, its engine will fire periodically to keep the ISS at a safe height above Earth’s atmosphere.
At the end of its time at the ISS, the ATV will loaded with up to 6.3 tonnes of rubbish, will undock and leave, after which it will burn up in the atmosphere.
International Space Station (ISS) Facts
It weighs about 450 tonnes and is large enough to cover a football field
The space station has been visited by about 240 people from 19 countries
An international crew of six people live and work while traveling at a speed of five miles per second, orbiting Earth about every 90 minutes.
In 24 hours, the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth, traveling through 16 sunrises and sunsets
Six spaceships can be connected to the space station at once
A spacecraft can arrive at the space station as soon as six hours after launching from Earth
The living and working space in the station is larger than a six-bedroom house, with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window
Because of the loss of muscle and bone mass in the human body in microgravity, the astronauts work out at least two hours a day
Astronauts and cosmonauts have conducted more than 221 spacewalks so far counting for space station construction, maintenance and upgrades since December 1998.
Images on this page ©Getty
It’s a good idea to get information from more than one source!
Read NASA’s regular updates about the space station
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/videos/index.html
The ISS has been operational for over 20 years! Read about the ISS 2020 and see photos of each of the international sections
https://www.space.com/42495-international-space-station-modules-tour-photos.html