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An achievement of international collaboration & innovation
History of the ISS
In 2005, the U.S. segment of the International Space Station was designated as a national laboratory. Curious about the origins of the ISS and what has happened since its creation? Scroll through the station’s history and discover key events and activities that have shaped this extraordinary research platform.
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January 25
Reagan directs NASA to build the ISS
1984
"Just as the oceans opened up a new world for clipper ships and Yankee traders, space holds enormous potential for commerce today". President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union Address directs NASA to build an international space station within the next 10 years."
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November 20
First ISS Segment Launches
1998
The first segment of the ISS launches: The Zarya Control Module launched aboard a Russian Proton rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Zarya (translates to "sunrise") supplied fuel storage, battery power and rendezvous and docking capability for Soyuz and Progress space vehicles.
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December 4
First U.S.-built component launches
1998
Unity Node 1 module—the first U.S.-built component of the International Space Station— launches into orbit two weeks later during the STS-88 mission. Joining Unity with the Zarya module was the first step in the assembly of the orbiting laboratory.
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November 2
First Crew to Reside on Station
2000
NASA Astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev become the first crew to reside onboard the station. Expedition 1 spent four months onboard completing tasks necessary to bring the ISS "to life" and began what is now more than 20 years of continuous human presence in space.
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February 7
U.S. Lab Module Added
2001
Destiny, the U.S. Laboratory module, becomes part of the station. The lab—that increased onboard living space by 41%—continues to be the primary research laboratory for U.S. payloads.
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December 30
U.S. Lab Module Recognized as Newest U.S. National Laboratory
2005
Congress designates the U.S. portion of the ISS as the nation's newest national laboratory to maximize its use for other U.S. government agencies and for academic and private institutions.
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February 7
European Lab Joins the ISS
2008
The European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory becomes part of the station.
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March 11
Japanese Lab Joins the ISS
2008
The first Japanese Kibo laboratory module becomes part of the station.
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November 2
ISS 10-Year Anniversary
2010
The ISS celebrates its 10-year anniversary of continuous human occupation. Since Expedition 1 in the fall of 2000, 202 people had visited the station.
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February
NASA Issues Cooperative Agreement
2011
NASA issues a cooperative agreement notice for a management partner.
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July
NASA Selects the ISS National Lab
2011
NASA selects the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) to manage the ISS National Lab.
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June 26
First ISS National Lab Solicitation
2012
The first ISS National Lab solicitation to send science to the International Space Station is announced.
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June 26-28
First ISS Research and Development Conference
2012
The ISS National Lab, NASA, and the American Astronautical Society (AAS) host the first annual ISS Research and Development Conference (#ISSRDC) held June 26-28, 2012, in Denver, Colorado.
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September 30
The First ISS National Lab Research Flight
2013
Proteins can be grown as crystals in space with nearly perfect three-dimensional structures useful for the development of new drugs. The ISS National Lab's protein crystal growth (PCG) series of flights began in 2013, allowing researchers to utilize the unique environment of the ISS.
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April 18
First Payloads Awarded Through an ISS National Lab Solicitation
2014
The payloads, launched on SpaceX CRS-3, include multiple protein crystallization projects supported by grant funding from the first ISS National Lab request for proposals, awarded in late 2012 and early 2013.
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Space Station Ambassador Program Begins
2015
The ISS National Lab creates the Space Station Ambassador program, a nationwide network of educators and lifelong learners who share information about ISS National Lab educational activities with their students, peers, and communities.
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Space Station Explorers Created
2016
The ISS National Lab creates Space Station Explorers, a community of educators, learners, and organizations that leverage the unique platform of the ISS National Lab to provide valuable STEM educational experiences.
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ISS National Lab Launches an Investor Network
2016
The investor network connects venture capital, private equity, corporate, and other financial investors with startups in the ISS National Lab ecosystem.
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February
First Issue of Upward, Official Magazine of the ISS National Lab
2016
The magazine publishes feature articles and perspective pieces about results from ISS National Lab-sponsored projects.
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June
First Commercial Tool Produced in Space
2016
The Kobalt wrench is 3D printed using the Additive Manufacturing Facility on station.
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October 5
Four-Year, $12 Million Partnership With NIH on Tissue Chips Announced
2016
The ISS National Lab announces a four-year partnership with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to fund research onboard the ISS focused on tissue chips.
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January 29
First Investigation Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation
2018
The first investigation funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation through its partnership with the ISS National Lab, a study of sediment particle interactions, launches to the space station on SpaceX CRS-15.
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November 2
20 Years of Continuous Human Presence in Space
2020
NASA and the ISS National Lab celebrate 20 years of continuous human presence in space.
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August 31
10-Year Anniversary of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™)
2021
CASIS celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its creation and the beginning of its partnership with NASA to manage the ISS National Lab as a public service to the nation.
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September 15
NASA Extends Cooperative Agreement
2022
NASA announces an extension of the Cooperative Agreement with CASIS to manage the ISS National Lab through 2027.
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