Historical Space Stations

Soviet Union / Russia · 1986–2001

Mir was the Soviet and later Russian modular space station, the first long-term research station in orbit and a proving ground for the international cooperation that followed.

United States · 1973–1974 (crewed)

Skylab was the first United States space station, crewed by three missions in 1973–1974, which carried out solar astronomy and studies of human adaptation to spaceflight.

Soviet Union · 1971

Salyut 1 was the world's first space station, launched by the Soviet Union in 1971.

Soviet Union · 1977–1982

Salyut 6 was a second-generation Soviet space station whose two docking ports enabled long-duration crews and resupply by Progress cargo craft.

Soviet Union · 1982–1986 (crewed)

Salyut 7 was the last of the Salyut space stations and a bridge to the modular Mir, notable for a daring 1985 mission to revive the powered-down station.

Soviet Union · 1973–1976

Almaz was a series of Soviet military space stations flown under Salyut designations (Salyut 2, 3, and 5), developed for reconnaissance.

United States · 2006–2008

Genesis I was an uncrewed experimental inflatable habitat launched by Bigelow Aerospace to test expandable space-structure technology.

United States · 2007–

Genesis II was a second uncrewed inflatable habitat demonstrator from Bigelow Aerospace, building on Genesis I.