Science in Space for the Benefit of Humanity

For more than 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously onboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and demonstrating new technologies. These achievements have led to groundbreaking discoveries that would not have been attainable on Earth, paving the way for extended exploration in outer space and enhancing life on our planet.

Sunrise Astronauts of Expedition 42 took this intriguing picture of sunrise in space Feb. 19, 2015. The rising sun creates sparkling glints off the solar panels that provide electricity to the International Space Station as it speeds around the Earth at 17200 miles per hour.

Media Credit: NASA

ISS National Lab Vision

To be the leading source for innovation in space, enabling life-changing benefits for humanity.

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ISS History and Timeline

The International Space Station (ISS), a marvel of modern science and engineering, represents the culmination of a decade’s work and over 30 missions by five space agencies from 15 countries. Comparable in size to a football field and weighing 460 tons, the ISS orbits Earth as a testament to human collaboration and ingenuity. Once a figment of science fiction, the concept of a space station materialized with the advent of the Space Age, leading to the first basic model in 1969 and eventually to the ISS’s construction in 1998. Initially reserved for government research, the ISS has now opened its hatches to commercial and academic ventures, offering new realms of possibilities for space-related research and commerce. Explore the creation and history of the ISS in this visual timeline, marking major advancements, breakthroughs, and results.

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