© Mark Ollig
A space module named Zarya launched Nov. 20, 1998, aboard a Russian Proton rocket into Earth-orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport in southern Kazakhstan.
Two weeks later, a space module called Unity and two pressurized mating adapters were placed into the cargo bay of the US Space Shuttle Endeavour and launched into Earth-orbit.
The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour captured the Earth-orbiting Russian Zarya module Dec. 6, 1998, and attached it with the Unity module. Thus began construction of the International Space Station (ISS).
It would be another two years until the first three-person crew would be living inside the ISS.
A total of 42 separate space launches completed the assembly of the International Space Station; NASA sent 37 flights during its construction, while Russia sent five flights using its Proton/Soyuz rockets.
Today, the ISS is a partnership among the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, and the participating nations comprised of the European Space Agency.
As of July 11, 243 individuals have stayed aboard the International Space Station.
There is more square-footage living and working space aboard the ISS than in a six-bedroom house. In addition, there are six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree bay window cupola.
End-to-end, the International Space Station measures 357 feet, nearly the same length as a football field (including both end zones), and can simultaneously dock a total of eight spacecraft.
NASA states it is possible for a spaceship to rendezvous with the ISS as soon as four hours after launching from Earth.
It takes 90 minutes for the International Space Station to orbit the Earth, traveling at 4.76 miles per second, or 17,136 miles per hour.
Over 24 hours, the ISS would nearly travel the equivalent distance of going to the moon and back.
Today, the four types of spacecraft delivering science, cargo, and other supplies to the ISS are The United States’ Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft and SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, Japan’s JAXA’s HTV transfer space vehicle, and Russia’s space capsule Progress.
It is no surprise the International Space Station uses a lot of technology to maintain its operations. For example, approximately 50 computers using 3 million lines of software programming code on the ground support the space station’s flight software code (1.5 million lines) communicated over 100 separate data networks.
The data networks transfer an average of 400,000 signals, including various pressures, temperature measurements, valve positions, and other space station signaling data.
The ISS’s on-orbit software monitors nearly 350,000 sensors to ensure the space station’s and crew members’ health and safety.
Eight solar arrays attached to the International Space Station collectively provide 75 to 90 kilowatts of electrical energy to power the equipment and maintain life support.
During the Space Shuttle era, the 55-foot robotic Canada Arm proved very useful, and one is installed and working on the ISS.
The ISS robotic arm installed in 2001 is called Canadarm2 and has seven different joints and two end-effectors, or hands. It measures 57.7 feet long and has a diameter of 14 inches.
Canadarm2 is used to move space modules, deploy and retrieve science experiments, and assist in transporting spacewalking astronauts.
Each orbital path takes the International Space Station over 90 percent of the Earth’s population.
How long will the ISS remain crewed and in Earth orbit?
The International Space Station is currently 23 years old and is susceptible to space debris and micrometeorite impacts.
A space debris impact May 12 caused concern when the Canadian Space Agency discovered a .2-inch diameter collision hole in the thermal blanket of the Canadarm2 robotic arm’s boom section.
NASA determined there was no damage to the robotic arm’s operating capability. The Canadian Space Agency calls the collision a “lucky strike” because the robotic arm is still functioning.
Another incident this year occurred July 29, following the docking of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) named Nauka to the International Space Station at 8:29 a.m. CDT.
At 12:45 p.m., the ISS flight control team on the ground noticed an unexpected firing of the MLM thrusters that caused the ISS to move out of its normal orbital orientation.
Action by the flight control team successfully stabilized the thrusters, regained attitude control, and adjusted to normal the motion and stability of the International Space Station.
Benefits obtained from the ISS as an Earth-orbiting research facility include an increased understanding and development of technology, space, medicine, and science. It has also improved the cultural, social, and political relations among participating nations.
“From a technical standpoint, we have cleared the International Space Station to fly until the end of 2028,” NASA officials have stated. “Additionally, our analysis has not identified any issues that would preclude us from extending beyond 2028, if needed.”
Of course, what goes up must eventually come down, and so the day will come when the International Space Station will be retired from service. Ultimately, the un-crewed ISS orbit will decay, causing it to burn up as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
Over the past 60 years, from inside a Mercury space capsule to the International Space Station, astronauts have taken 1.5 million photographs of the Earth. You can check them out on the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth website at https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov.
The International Space Station continues to serve and inspire by advancing today’s technology to benefit all of us tomorrow.
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| International Space Station Source: NASA |
