Question

What are some of the purposes served by space stations?

Answer 1

Space stations used today are basically research platforms. They are used to study the effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body as well as to provide platforms for greater number and length of scientific studies than available on other space vehicles. All space stations to date have been designed with the intention of rotating multiple crews, with each crew member staying aboard the station for weeks or months, but rarely more than a year. Space stations have also been used for both military and civilian purposes. The last military use space station was Salyut 5, which was used by the Almaz program of the Soviet Union in 1976 and 1977.