A window on our world from far, far above. Image Credit: NASA
The International Space Station has made it possible for humans to maintain an ongoing presence in space.
Orbiting between 330 and 435km above the surface of the Earth, the ambitious orbital outpost, which also happens to be the most expensive man-made object ever constructed, has now been housing a crew of astronauts in space for the last 15 years.
The station has succeeded not only in advancing mankind's knowledge of living and working in space but has also long represented what can be achieved when several nations work together towards a common goal in the spirit of mutual friendship and co-operation.
The first module of the ISS was launched in 1998 and since then more than 69 countries have contributed to its construction and 211 astronauts from 15 countries have visited it.
While the 400-ton structure was originally intended to operate only until the year 2020 there are currently plans to extend this to at least 2024 and probably further beyond that as well.
A recent questions and answers session with the station's current crew can be viewed below.
Only 15 years? Seems longer to me ... I was thinking the same, but maybe I was also thinking of SkyLab, which orbited from '73-'79 It seems highly unlikely to me that anyone would confuse the end of Skylab with the beginning of the ISS. Skylab received three manned missions. The last of these, Skylab 4, returned to Earth on 6th February 1974 after an 84 day mission. This was more than 24 years before Russia launched the first component of the ISS and 26 years before Expedition 1 started it's permanent habitation. It seems more probable to me that it seems longer because of the Mir-Shuttl progr... [More]
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