Space station

hide

A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. To date, only low earth orbital (LEO) stations have been implemented, otherwise known as orbital stations. A space station is distinguished from other manned spacecraft by its lack of major propulsion or landing facilities—instead, other vehicles are used as transport to and from the station. Space stations are designed for medium-term living in orbit, for periods of weeks, months, or even years. The only space station currently in use is the International Space Station. Previous stations include the Almaz & Salyut series, Skylab and Mir.

Space stations are used to study the effects of long-term space flight on the human body as well as to provide platforms for greater number and length of scientific studies than available on other space vehicles. Since the ill-fated flight of Soyuz 11 to Salyut 1, all manned spaceflight duration records have been set aboard space stations. The duration record for a single spaceflight is 437.7 days, set by Valeriy Polyakov aboard Mir from 1994 to 1995. As of 2009[update], three astronauts have completed single missions of over a year, all aboard Mir.

For more information about 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 space station

results timeline

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 blast off for Christmas space mission

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

7 hours ago | not rated yet | 0

(AP) -- A Russian rocket blasted off from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan lighting up the frigid Central Asian steppe Monday, shuttling an American, a Russian and a Japanese to the International Space Station.

US astronaut Timothy Creamer (L) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov give a press conference

Astronauts to carry Christmas cheer to ISS

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 19, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 0

Despite being separated from their families, astronauts heading to the International Space Station next week are excited to be spending Christmas in space, a crew member said Saturday.

Prof gets messages from space

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 08, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (6) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Barbara Frisken received several messages from outer space this year on her answering machine.

Japan's 'space beer' sparkles among drinkers

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 07, 2009 | 3.2 / 5 (6) | 0

A Japanese brewer has come up with a beer that's truly out of this world -- one made with barley grown from a line of seeds that once orbited the Earth aboard the International Space Station.

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.