International Space Station

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The International Space Station (ISS) is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be complete by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015. As of 2009[update], the ISS is the largest artificial satellite in Earth orbit, with a mass larger than that of any previous space station.

The ISS is a joint project among the space agencies of the United States (National Aeronautics and Space Administration—NASA), Russia (Russian Federal Space Agency—RKA), Japan (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency—JAXA), Canada (Canadian Space Agency—CSA) and ten European nations (European Space Agency—ESA).[a] The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) participates through a separate contract with NASA. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) similarly has separate contracts for various activities not done within the framework of ESA's ISS projects (where Italy also fully participates). China has reportedly expressed interest in the project, especially if it would be able to work with the RKA, although as of 2009[update] it is not involved due to objections from the United States.

The space station can be seen from Earth with the naked eye, orbiting at an altitude of approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi) above the surface of the Earth, travelling at an average speed of 27,724 kilometres (17,227 mi) per hour, completing 15.7 orbits per day.

The ISS has been continuously staffed since the first resident crew, Expedition 1, entered the station on 2 November 2000. This has provided an uninterrupted human presence in space for the last &0000000000000008.0000008 years, &0000000000000269.000000269 days. Prior to May 2009, the station had the capacity for a crew of three. However, to fulfil an active research programme, since the arrival of Expedition 20, it has been staffed by a resident crew of six. The crew of Expedition 20 is currently aboard.

Early crew members all came from the American and Russian space programmes until German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter joined the Expedition 13 crew in July 2006. The station has been visited by astronauts from 16 different nations, and it was the destination of the first six space tourists.

For more information about International Space Station, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

News tagged with international space station

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ISS astronauts land safely in Kazakhstan

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 01, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 0

A space capsule carrying a Belgian, a Canadian and a Russian landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Tuesday after the trio spent half a year on the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA: Floating 'junk' no threat to space station

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 28, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (3) | 0

(AP) -- NASA says a piece of old space junk that it's been tracking for a few days is no threat to the International Space Station.

Astronauts surprised by holiday turkey dinners

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

(AP) -- Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts thought they were going to give thanks with pantry leftovers Thursday as their mission drew to a close, but found turkey dinners awaiting them.

Russia: no space for space tourists

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 26, 2009 | 2.7 / 5 (3) | 1

(AP) -- A top Russian space official says there is no space for tourists wishing to fly to the International Space Station.

Nanotech in Space: Experiment To Weather the Trials of Orbit

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

Nov 24, 2009 | 4 / 5 (2) | 0

Novel nanomaterials developed at Rensselaer were sent into orbit on Nov. 16 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Baby can wait as expectant dad finishes spacewalk

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 21, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (3) | 0

(AP) -- A spacewalking astronaut put aside the impending birth of his daughter and blazed through his first-ever venture outside the International Space Station on Saturday.

Astronauts get extra work done in 1st spacewalk (AP)

Astronauts get extra work done in 1st spacewalk (Update)

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 19, 2009 | not rated yet | 2

(AP) -- A pair of spacewalking astronauts, one of them a surgeon, hustled through antenna and cable work outside the International Space Station on Thursday and even whipped off an extra chore.

Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off on supply mission

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 16, 2009 | 3.5 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew began an 11-day delivery flight to the International Space Station on Monday with a 2:28 p.m. EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in ...

Nanotech in Space: Rensselaer Experiment To Weather the Trials of Orbit

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

Nov 12, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Novel nanomaterials developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are scheduled to blast off into orbit on November 16 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Scientists prepare the Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2) "Poisk"

Rocket with new module for space station blasts off

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 10, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

A Soyuz rocket carrying a new Russian-made module for the International Space Station blasted off on Tuesday from the Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan, television pictures showed.

Steering the Ares Rockets on a Straight Path

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 04, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Ares I-X rocket stood more than 325 feet tall on the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Spectators watched in awe as its massive solid rocket motor blazed to life with a thunderous ...

US astronaut Timothy Creamer (L), Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov (C), and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi (R)

Astronauts to taste 'space sushi'

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 03, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

US astronaut Timothy Creamer said on Thursday he was impatient to taste "space sushi" courtesy of his Japanese crewmate after they arrive on the International Space Station (ISS) later this month.

Space shuttle Atlantis, 7 astronauts back on Earth

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 27, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts ended an 11-day journey of nearly 4.5 million miles with a 9:44 a.m. EST landing Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.