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International Space Station (ISS)

A modular, multinational laboratory and habitable satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS supports long-duration human presence, scientific research in microgravity, technology demonstrations, and international cooperation.

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The International Space Station (ISS) is a permanently crewed, modular space station assembled in low Earth orbit. It functions as a large habitable satellite where astronauts live and work for months at a time. The ISS is a cooperative program involving major space agencies and many partner nations; its presence in orbit has enabled continuous human habitation and a broad portfolio of scientific experiments.

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Structure and principal components

The station is built from interconnected pressurized modules, unpressurized trusses, large solar arrays for power, and multiple docking ports and robotic elements. Laboratory modules and habitation blocks provide life support, work areas and sleeping quarters. Key functional elements include early Russian and American modules that were joined during initial assembly, a long integrated truss that carries power and thermal control systems, and robotic arms used for maintenance and cargo handling.

  • Modules and labs: scientific laboratories, crew quarters and service modules.
  • Truss and arrays: structural backbone with solar arrays that generate electricity.
  • Robotics and docking: arms and ports that support assembly, resupply and visiting spacecraft.

History and international partnership

Construction of the ISS began in 1998 when components from different countries were first joined in orbit. Over the following decade major segments were launched and assembled by international teams, completing the core configuration in the early 2010s while smaller elements and experiments have been added since. The programme is administered and supplied by a coalition of space agencies and partner states, with contributions of modules, hardware, crew and funding from multiple nations.

The project is led by principal partners including the United States and Russia, and also involves contributions from Europe, Japan and Canada. Other countries participate through direct collaboration or by providing experiments and technology. For background on the concept and terminology, see general material on the station as a space station and its role as a large satellite in Low Earth orbit. The programme has engaged the major partners: United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada, while other nations such as Brazil, Italy and China have interacted with or observed the programme through various cooperative arrangements.

Scientific uses and examples of research

The ISS serves as a unique laboratory for experiments that require a microgravity environment or long-duration exposure to space. Research aboard the station spans biology, human physiology, materials science, fluid physics, astrophysics and Earth observation. Examples include studies of muscle and bone loss in microgravity, crystal growth, combustion in reduced gravity, and testing technologies for life support and in-space manufacturing.

  • Biological and medical research: studies of human health during long missions.
  • Physical sciences: experiments that reveal different behaviors of fluids, flames and materials.
  • Earth and space observation: instruments that monitor Earth systems and cosmic phenomena.

Operational aspects and significance

The ISS has supported continuous human presence in space for many years, sustained by a cadence of crew rotations, cargo resupply missions and periodic upgrades. It is also a platform for international cooperation and for testing hardware and procedures needed for future exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The station is visible from the ground under favorable conditions and represents one of the largest human-made objects in space.

Looking ahead, agencies and commercial partners discuss options for operating the ISS into the 2020s and 2030s, transitioning some research and human presence to future platforms and private space habitats. The legacy of the ISS includes technological advances, scientific publications, educational outreach and experience in multinational operations that inform later exploration efforts.

Countries involved

The ISS is a joint project of the US space agency NASA, the Russian space agency Roskosmos, the European space agency ESA and the space agencies of Canada CSA and Japan JAXA. In Europe, the countries involved are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In 1998, an agreement was signed for the construction of the space station.

Brazil has a separate agreement with the USA on the use of the ISS. The People's Republic of China expressed its desire to participate in the ISS, but failed due to the veto of the US and has since operated two space stations of its own (a third is under construction).

Agreement among the Participating States in the International Space Station Program, signed January 28, 1998.
Agreement among the Participating States in the International Space Station Program, signed January 28, 1998.

Previous story

The first initiatives for a permanently inhabited station in space came up at NASA very early on. At the beginning of the 1960s, long before the first moon landing, a space station was envisaged that would be inhabited by around ten to twenty people. After the completion of the Apollo program, the construction of space stations became more concrete in order not to lose touch with the Soviet Union, which had launched its first space station, Salyut 1, in 1971. So in 1973 the US-American station Skylab was launched, which was inhabited for a total of 171 days. After that, however, the Americans turned their attention to the development of the Space Shuttle, while the Soviet Union launched six more Salyut stations and, above all, the modular Mir space station, gaining extensive experience with long-term stays in space.

After the first flight of the Space Shuttle in 1981, the concept of a space station came back into focus because, according to NASA strategists, it was the next logical step in space travel. In May 1982, the Space Station Task Force was created at NASA headquarters. In January 1984, then U.S. President Ronald Reagan, echoing Kennedy's call for a moon landing, announced it was the national goal to build a permanently manned space station within a decade. The cost of such a station was estimated at eight billion US dollars at the time. A year later, it was decided to build the station together with international partners. ESA, Canada and Japan then joined the project. In 1988, the planned station was named Freedom by Reagan.

After the end of the Cold War, closer cooperation between NASA and Russia became possible. The original Freedom project was shortened because the costs of the planned space station exploded and renamed Space Station Alpha. In 1993, Russia and the U.S. signed an agreement for ten shuttle flights to the Russian space station Mir, as well as long-term stays for some U.S. astronauts on Mir, later known as the Shuttle-Mir program. NASA paid $400 million for this. This marked the first cooperation between the two space powers since the Apollo-Soyuz test project in 1975.

Under US President Bill Clinton, the project of a large space station was then relaunched in November 1993 together with Russia; Russia contributed the plans of the planned Mir-2 station. On the US side, the name Alpha was proposed, but Russia rejected it because the Mir station was the first modular space station - Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. By 1998, 13 other countries had joined the project: eleven of the ESA countries (the UK was a co-signatory to the contract but later dropped out), Japan and Canada. In addition, in October 1997, Brazil signed a separate agreement with the United States for the use of the space station, which is now called the International Space Station (ISS). The following year, construction of the station began with the launch of the Russian cargo and propulsion module Sarja (Sunrise).


Questions and answers

Q: What is the International Space Station?

A: The International Space Station is a very large satellite that people can live in for several months at a time.

Q: When was the last part of the International Space Station added?

A: The last part, a Bigelow module, was added in 2016.

Q: Which countries are involved in the International Space Station project?

A: The International Space Station is a joint project among several areas of the world: the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Q: When did the building of the International Space Station begin?

A: Building the International Space Station began in 1998.

Q: How was the International Space Station built?

A: Russian and American space modules were joined together to build the International Space Station.

Q: Are there any other countries that work with the International Space Station?

A: Yes, other nations such as Brazil, Italy, and China also work with the International Space Station through cooperation with other countries.

Q: Where is the International Space Station located?

A: The International Space Station is put together in Low Earth orbit.

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