International Space Station Lithograph
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
www.nasa.gov/station INTRODUCTION THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION The International Space Station, one of the most ambitious international collaborations AT A GLANCE ever attempted, is a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that provides humanity a one-of-a-kind proving ground for Artemis as we go forward to the Required a collaborative effort Moon and on to Mars. It is a demonstration platform for new technologies and research by 15 nations to construct. laboratory for breakthroughs not possible on Earth, representing the most complex Has had a continuous human space exploration program ever undertaken. presence since November 2000. In the two decades that humans have inhabited the space station, we’ve used the unique orbiting laboratory to build our understanding of how humans can safely live Has required in microgravity, make groundbreaking advancements in medicine, test technologies 227 spacewalks that will help us travel farther into space, gain new insights into our home planet and (and counting) stimulate an emerging low-Earth orbit economy. Measures 357 feet end-to-end and for assembly, has a mass of nearly 1 million pounds. maintenance and upgrades. Has seen more than BENEFITS TO Station activities and research have led to new products to purify air and Travels at 2,800 experiments water in our homes, use of cold plasmas in wound treatment, tracking 17,500 mph, conducted so far. HUMANITY Travels at an average altitude covering the technology for laser-eye surgery, non-invasive temperature monitoring of about 227 nautical miles of babies in hospitals, and advancements in telemedicine. equivalent (420 kilometers) above Earth. distance to the nautical Moon and back Earth 227 miles in about a day. Over 500 microgravity New combustion protein crystal-growth discoveries like investigations have been “cool flames” may help reduce conducted to explore Over the past 20 years, the space station has evolved from an engine emissions. LIVING AND better treatments for WORKING orbiting outpost, where 34 investigations were conducted by diseases such as cancer the first crew, to a capable laboratory with about 300 active and muscular dystrophy. IN SPACE investigations during each crew rotation.
An astronaut’s usual Astronauts receive stay aboard the Saliva testing developed supplies from More than 200 small orbiting laboratory is to detect active viruses uncrewed vehicles satellites have been around six months. deployed from station since in orbiting astronauts is provided by various 2013, improving Earth- now being used on Earth, countries and observation photography, resulting in faster, less- commercial sources. internet access and invasive testing and more A daily two-hour exercise telecommunication services. reliable results. program is critical for astronauts to counteract the physical effects Astronaut photography supports scientific Astronauts of living in microgravity. Data gathered on the research, as well as educational and international sleep in special space station is used disaster-response activities. sleeping bags Astronauts spend to generate a unique, As of January 2020, secured to the their time in space publicly available more than 3 million wall of their conducting scientific database used in photos are publicly personal crew experiments and ecological research available. quarters. maintaining the and climate modeling. space station.
International Space Station: nasa.gov/station | Station Science: nasa.gov/iss-science | Spot the Station in the night sky: spotthestation.nasa.gov/
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