International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is a huge spacecraft orbiting around our planet. It revolves around the Earth with a consistent speed and direction. It acts as an all-in-one place where astronauts can live and conduct experiments. The space station is a unique science laboratory where a broad spectrum of experiments is carried out. Many nations are involved with the maintenance of the craft. Since its launch, the space station has been extended with newer modules and equipment. Astronauts are deployed to assemble and disassemble parts. Overall it took forty-two space flights to attach the main parts of the space station.

What is the International Space Station (ISS)?

The International Space Station is an interchangeable and modular spacecraft travelling in low Earth orbit. It is also a habitable spacecraft where astronauts can live for many months. It is regulated by a public association of multiple space research organisations: NASA (United States of America), ESA (Europe), Roscosmos(Russia), CSA(Canada) and JAXA(Japan).

The ownership of the space station is regulated under intergovernmental agreements and treaties.

It revolves around the Earth at a mean altitude of about 402 km. The average speed is about 17,500 mph. Therefore, it completes one full revolution around the Earth in 90 minutes.

The station acts as a microgravity research lab for astronomy, physics, astrobiology, meteorology, etc. The ISS is used for the trials of spaceship equipment and systems that are needed for Mars and Moon missions.

NASA predominantly uses the station to understand the effects of working and living in space. Such invaluable information will further demystify the conditions necessary for humans to survive on other planets.

Launch of the International Space Station

In November 1998, the first module of ISS was launched into orbit. Zarya (control module) was launched by a Russian rocket. The U.S. Unity Node module was attached to Zarya two weeks later. The space shuttle Endeavour carried and docked the Unit node to the existing module.

More parts were attached over the next 24 months. After deploying all necessary modules, the first crew reached the station on November 2, 2000. The construction of the full version of the space station was completed in 2011. Apart from these central installations, thousands of repairs and updates have been done frequently.

Size of the International Space Station

The International Space Station is 109 meters from end to end.

It has the volume of two Boeing 747 jets.

It is almost the size of a full-length American football ground. It weighs around 0.45 million kilograms on Earth. It has about 932 cubic meters of space. Approximately 13 km of wire links the entire space station’s electric circuit system. Almost one-third of the area is taken by storage and equipment. The remaining portion is habitable. It can accommodate a crew of six people and a few visitors.

A video about distances in space

Essential Parts of the International Space Station

The International Space Station has a huge array of modules and equipment. The early Russian modules had basic systems required for the smooth operation of the station. They also had primary living space for the crew.

Nodes are modules that connect individual parts of the space station. Solar arrays extend out from the main structure. It is used to accumulate solar energy for generating electricity. The arrays are joined to the space station with the help of an extended truss. In fact, there are radiators on the truss, which helps to regulate the station’s temperature.

Robotic arms are attached outside the station. They were used to build the whole space station. Robotic arms also help to move astronauts during spacewalks. Other than these use cases, such automated arms are extensively used in laboratory science experiments.

Docking ports are another crucial part of the entire space station. They enable the station to connect external spacecraft and satellites for various purposes. New visitors and crew members enter through the docking ports. Supplies are also delivered through docking ports.

Important Modules of International Space Station

Uses of International Space Station

The ultimate goal of the International Space Station is to facilitate long-term space exploration and create useful inventions for the goodness of humanity. There are six cutting-edge laboratories enabling premium research projects in various fields of science and technology. Complex and volatile experiments can be easily conducted in microgravity spaces. Especially in medicine, we are witnessing revolutionary research projects that were impossible to perform in earthly conditions.

Studies on hyper and microgravity help understand the effects of alien conditions on the human body. Cultivating protein crystals in space could help scientists develop better treatment solutions for many diseases that have no cure. In addition, there are numerous innovative space research projects that are designed to study celestial bodies.

The International Space Station acts as a doorway to new horizons in space exploration. It is a place where we can learn and experiment on living and surviving on alien planets. The long-term consequences of weightlessness and radiation on the human body are the most crucial research areas, which will allow us to prepare astronauts for crewed interplanetary missions.

Important Facts about International Space Station

• It is an international collaboration of five space agencies. Fifteen countries control the International Space Station.
• NASA Astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko were the first humans to live on the space station.
• A crew of seven people work while moving at a speed of 8 km/s, circling the Earth about every 1.5 hours.
• In a day, the station completes sixteen orbits around the Earth, moving through sixteen sunsets and sunrises.
• The living area in the station is bigger than a six-bedroom apartment.
• The International Space Station has software that monitors about 350,000 sensors, tracking the station and crew members.
• About fifty computers administer the systems on the station.
• About 3 million lines of software codes on the ground assist around 1.5 million lines of flight software codes.
• In the U.S. section, there are about 1.5 million lines of software codes (flight) running on 44 computers. These communicate through 100 data networks delivering 4,00,000 signals. Such signals are responsible for valve positions, temperature or pressure estimations, etc.
• The crew members do physical exercises at least two hours a day to counter the loss of muscle and bone density in the human body.
• Astronauts frequently do spacewalks for station maintenance and upgrades.
• The solar array wingspan is much longer than the world’s biggest passenger airliner (the Airbus A380).
• The bigger modules and other space station parts were brought on 42 different flights. Thirty-seven parts were brought by U.S. space shuttles and five by Russian Proton/Soyuz rockets.
• Eight miles of wire links the electrical system on the space station.
• The 55-foot robotic arm Canadarm2 has seven joints and two hands. It is used to manoeuvre large modules, conduct experiments and carry spacewalking astronauts.
• Eight spacecraft could be attached to the station at one instance.
• On average, a spacecraft arrives at the space station four hours after being dispatched from the Earth.
• The main cargo spaceships were SpaceX’s Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, the Russian Progress and JAXA’s HTV.
• They were used to deliver essential goods to the space station.
• The microgravity laboratory (Expedition 60) has anchored approximately 3,000 research projects from more than 108 countries.
• About twenty research payloads can be functional outside the space station at once.
• The International Space Station travels the distance to the Moon and back every 24 hours.
• The Water Recovery System efficiently regulates the dependence on water supplied by cargo spacecraft by 65 percent.

Significant Contributions of International Space Station

• The International Space Station is aiding in the research of water purification technology. In the space station, scientists are able to conduct advanced experiments which are not possible on the Earth. In space, the external variables are significantly less compared to the Earth. Fewer constraints mean less probability of errors.
• High-quality protein crystals are being developed in the space station. Space has the perfect conditions to examine these structures.
• Microgravity is conducive to the optimal cultivation of rare and complex protein crystal structures. These are some of the crucial substances in medical diagnosis. Hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase was developed here, an essential component in diagnosing muscular dystrophy.
• Space station ultrasound technology.
• Eye surgery methods with space station hardware and tools (helmet feeding highly efficient image-processing chips).
• Robotic arms can be used to operate complex tumours.
• Research on the characteristics of various fluids to improve existing medical devices.
• They are developing fine-tuned diets and exercises for preventing bone loss or degradation.
• Practical experiences in the space station help better understand osteoporosis development.
• The International Space Station gives excellent opportunities for students to conduct their own scientific experiments in space.
• It helps to monitor water quality.

It also enables us to monitor and predict natural calamities from space.

• There have been projects for developing optimal methods for cultivating crops in space. In turn, it also helps to find solutions for mould prevention in medical labs, homes and large-scale food storage.