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International Space Station
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International Space Station
The International Space Station, as seen from Space Shuttle Endeavour in May 2011.
ISS insignia
Station statistics
COSPAR ID
1998-067A
Call sign
Alpha
Crew
Fully crewed 6
Currently onboard 6
(Expedition 34)
Launch
1998–2020
Launch pad
Baikonur LC-81/23, LC-1/5
KSC LC-39,
Mass
approximately 450,000 kg (990,000 lb)
Length
72.8 m
Width
108.5 m
Height
c. 20 m (c. 66 ft)
nadir–zenith, arrays forward–aft
(27 November 2009)
Pressurised volume
837 m3 (29,600 cu ft)
(21 March 2011)
Atmospheric pressure
101.3 kPa (29.91 inHg, 1 atm)
Perigee
402 km (250 mi) AMSL
(02 November 2012 04:38:51 epoch)
Apogee
424 km (263 mi) AMSL
(02 November 2012 04:38:51 epoch)
Orbital inclination
51.6 degrees
Average speed
7,706.6 m/s
(27,743.8 km/h, 17,239.2 mph)
Orbital period
92 minutes 50 seconds
(02 November 2012 04:38:51 epoch)
Days in orbit
5196
(10 February)
Days occupied
4483
(10 February)
Number of orbits
81559
(10 February)
Orbital decay
2 km/month
Statistics as of 9 March 2011
(unless noted otherwise)
References:
Configuration
Station elements as of December 2011, but missing Pirs
(exploded view)
The International Space Station (ISS) is a habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. It follows the Salyut, Almaz, Skylab and Mir stations as the ninth space station to be inhabited. The ISS is a modular structure whose first component was launched in 1998. Now the largest artifical body in orbit, it can often be seen at the appropriate time with the naked eye from Earth without any special equipment. The ISS consists of pressurised modules, external trusses, solar arrays and other components. ISS components have been launched by American Space Shuttles as well as Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets. Budget constraints led to the merger of three space station projects with the Japanese Kibo module and Canadian robotics. In 1993 the partially built components for a Soviet/Russian space station Mir-2, the proposed American Freedom, and the proposed European Columbus merged into a single multinational programme.The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and other fields. The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.The station has been continuously occupied for 700112000000000000012 years and 7002100000000000000100 days, having exceeded the previous record of almost 10 years (or 3,634 days) held by Mir, in 2010. The station is serviced by Soyuz spacecraft, Progress spacecraft, the Automated Transfer Vehicle, the H-II Transfer Vehicle, and formerly the Space Shuttle. It has been visited by astronauts and cosmonauts from 15 different nations. On 25 May 2012, SpaceX became the world's first privately held company to send a cargo load, via the Dragon spacecraft, to the International Space Station.The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements. The station is divided into two sections, the Russian orbital segment (ROS) and the United States orbital segment (USOS), which is shared by many nations. The ISS is maintained at an orbital altitude of between 330 km (205 mi) and 410 km (255 mi). It completes 15.7 orbits per day. The ISS is funded until 2020, and may operate until 2028. The Russian Federal Space Agency (RSA/RKA) has proposed using ISS to commission modules for a new space station, called OPSEK, before the remainder of the ISS is de-orbited.
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Created By:
System
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