International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is a joint project of 6 space agencies: the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Russian Federal Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA/ASC), Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the European Space Agency (ESA, with members United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Austria and Finland choosing not to participate; Greece and Luxembourg joined ESA later http://www.esa.int/esaHS/partstates.html).

Related Topics:
NASA - Russian Federal Space Agency - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency - Canadian Space Agency - Brazilian Space Agency - European Space Agency - United Kingdom - Ireland - Germany - Portugal - Austria - Finland - Greece - Luxembourg

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The space station is located in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of approximately 360 km (220 miles), a type of orbit usually termed low Earth orbit. (The actual height varies over time by several kilometres due to atmospheric drag and reboosts. {{ref|altitude}}) It orbits Earth at a period of about 92 minutes; by June 2005 it had completed more than 37,500 orbits since launch of the Zarya module on November 20, 1998.

Related Topics:
Space station - Orbit - Earth - 360 - Km - Low Earth orbit - Atmospheric drag - Period - June - 2005 - Zarya module - November 20 - 1998

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In many ways the ISS represents a merger of previously planned independent space stations: Russia's Mir 2, United States' Space Station Freedom and the planned European Columbus. Today it represents a permanent human presence in space, as it has been manned with a crew of at least two since November 2, 2000 (see #ISS Expeditions).

Related Topics:
Russia - Mir 2 - United States - Space Station Freedom - European - Columbus - November 2 - 2000 - #ISS Expeditions

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It is serviced primarily by the Space Shuttle, Soyuz and Progress spacecraft units. It is still being built, but is home to some experimentation already. At present, the station has a capacity for a crew of three. So far, all members of the expedition crews have come from the Russian or United States space programs. The ISS has however been visited by many more astronauts, a number of them from other countries (and by two space tourists).

Related Topics:
Space Shuttle - Soyuz - Progress spacecraft - Space tourist

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