International Space Station

"ISS" redirects here. For other uses, see ISS (disambiguation).

International Space Station (ISS)
A view of the International Space Station. In view are the station's sixteen paired red-coloured main solar array wings, eight on either side of the station, mounted to a central integrated truss structure. Spaced along the truss are ten white radiators. Mounted to the base of the two rightmost main solar arrays pairs, there are two smaller paired light brown-coloured ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays. Attached to the centre of the truss is a cluster of pressurised modules arranged in an elongated T shape. A set of solar arrays are mounted to the module at the aft end of the cluster.
Oblique underside view in November 2021
International Space Station programme emblem with flags of the original signatory states
Station statistics
COSPAR ID1998-067A
SATCAT no.25544Edit this on Wikidata
Call signAlpha, Station
Crew
Launch20 November 1998 (26 years ago) (1998-11-20)
Launch pad
Mass450,000 kg (990,000 lb)[1]
Length109 m (358 ft) (overall), 94 m (310 ft) (truss)[2]
Width73 m (239 ft) (solar array)[2]
Pressurised volume1,005.0 m3 (35,491 cu ft)[2]
Atmospheric pressure1 atm (101.3 kPa; 14.7 psi) 79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
Perigee altitude413 km (256.6 mi) AMSL[3]
Apogee altitude422 km (262.2 mi) AMSL[3]
Orbital inclination51.64°[3]
Orbital speed7.67 km/s; 27,600 km/h; 17,100 mph[4]
Orbital period92.9 minutes[5]
Orbits per day15.5[3]
Orbit epoch16 August 16:19:30[6]
Days in orbit26 years, 1 day as of 21 November 2024
Days occupied24 years, 19 days as of 21 November 2024
No. of orbits141,117 as of August 2023[6]
Orbital decay2 km/month (1.2 mi/month)
Statistics as of 22 December 2022
(unless noted otherwise)
References:[2][3][7][8][9]
Configuration
The components of the ISS in an exploded diagram, with modules on-orbit highlighted in orange.
Station elements as of December 2022
(exploded view)

The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). The ISS is the largest space station ever built. Its primary purpose is to perform microgravity and space environment experiments.[10]

Operationally, the station is divided into two sections: the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) assembled by Roscosmos, and the US Orbital Segment (USOS), assembled by NASA, JAXA, ESA and CSA. A striking feature of the ISS is the Integrated Truss Structure, which connects the large solar panels and radiators to the pressurized modules. The pressurized modules are specialized for research, habitation, storage, spacecraft control, and airlock functions. Visiting spacecraft dock at the station via its eight docking and berthing ports. The ISS maintains an orbit with an average altitude of 400 kilometres (250 mi)[11] and circles the Earth in roughly 93 minutes, completing 15.5 orbits per day.[12]

The ISS programme combines two prior plans to construct crewed Earth-orbiting stations: Space Station Freedom planned by the United States, and the Mir-2 station, planned by the Soviet Union. The first ISS module was launched in 1998. Major modules have been launched by Proton and Soyuz rockets and by the Space Shuttle launch system. The first long-term residents, Expedition 1, arrived on 2 November 2000. Since then, the station has been continuously occupied for 24 years and 19 days, the longest continuous human presence in space. As of March 2024, 279 individuals from 22 countries have visited the space station.[13] The ISS is expected to have additional modules (the Axiom Orbital Segment, for example) and will be in service until the end of 2030, after which it is planned to be de-orbited by a dedicated NASA spacecraft.[14]

  1. ^ "ISS: International Space Station". Archived from the original on 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Garcia, Mark (5 January 2023). "About the Space Station: Facts and Figures". NASA. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Peat, Chris (21 May 2021). "ISS – Orbit". Heavens-Above. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Live Space Station Tracking Map". NASA. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  5. ^ Holman, Joseph (12 October 2022). "ISS (ZARYA)". Satellite Tracking. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. ^ a b "ARISS TLE". ARISS TLE. 16 August 2023. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference OnOrbit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "STS-132 Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. 7 May 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  9. ^ "STS-133 FD 04 Execute Package" (PDF). NASA. 27 February 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  10. ^ "ISS". nasa.gov. 23 May 2023. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  11. ^ "NASA – Higher Altitude Improves Station's Fuel Economy". nasa.gov. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Current ISS Tracking data". NASA. 15 December 2008. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2009. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ^ "International Space Station Visitors by Country – NASA". Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  14. ^ "NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle – NASA". Retrieved 26 June 2024.