International Space Station

Overview

The International Space Station is a continuously crewed modular laboratory in low Earth orbit, operated as a partnership among NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and the CSA — the largest human-made structure in space.

Highlights

• ▹Continuously crewed since November 2000
• ▹More than 270 visiting astronauts from over 20 countries
• ▹A microgravity research laboratory for biology, physics, and medicine

Modules

Knowledge connections

• Operated byNASA
• Operated byRoscosmos
• Operated byESA
• Operated byJAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
• Operated byCanadian Space Agency (CSA)
• Part of programInternational Space Station program
• Has attachedAxiom Station
• Station componentZarya
• Station componentUnity
• Station componentZvezda
• Station componentDestiny
• Station componentQuest
• Station componentPirs
• Station componentHarmony
• Station componentColumbus
• Station componentKibo
• Station componentTranquility
• Station componentCupola
• Station componentRassvet
• Station componentLeonardo
• Station componentPoisk
• Station componentBEAM
• Station componentNauka
• Station componentPrichal
• Visited bySoyuz (spacecraft)
• Visited bySpace Shuttle Orbiter
• Visited byCrew Dragon
• Visited byBoeing Starliner
• Visited byDream Chaser
• Visited byCargo Dragon

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

• NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

  Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

• ESAEuropean Space Agency

  European missions, observatories, and space science imagery.