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International Space Station (International)
Origins/Status
Alternate Designations:
ISS,
Space Station Alpha,
Freedom
Major Contractors:
NASA,
Russian Space Agency,
NASDA,
European Space Agency,
Canadian Space Agency
Nation of Origin: None; shared international project
Used By:
USA,
Russian Federation,
European Union,
Japan,
Canada,
Brazil
Number in Use: 1
Launch Sites: Baikoner Cosomodrome (
Russian Federation), Kennedy Space Center (
USA)
Project Status: Under Construction
Expected Date of Completion: April 2006
Dimensions
Note: Figures given are for the completed station.
Length: 88.4
meters (290
feet)
Height: 43.6 meters (143 feet)
Wingspan: 108.5 meters (356 feet)
Volume: 1303 cubic meters (43,000 cubic feet)
Weight: ~ 1 Million
pounds
Capacity
Crew: 7
Mission Duration: ~ 25 Years
Orbital Altitude: 220 Miles
Overview
The International Space Station is a joint product of the
American,
Japanese,
Russian,
Brazillian and
European Union governments, intended to be a peaceful platform for scientific experiments and a jumping-off
point for possible manned missions to the
Moon and
Mars. The project was begun in May of 1982 when NASA announced a task force dedicated
to the design and development of a space station project to follow the
Space Transportation System. This
space station was intended to be born of international cooperation between the European Space Agency, the
Japanese government, Canada and the United States.
In 1984, President Reagan gave the go-ahead for ISS construction to begin in his January 1984 State of the
Union address: "Our next large target is to develop a new frontier based on the pioneer spirit. I command
our nation to construct a permanent manned space station within ten years." Unfortunately, the United
States failed to carry out his instructions in time, and assembly of the ISS in orbit did not begin for
another fifteen years. Reagan also called for international cooperation on the project. In 1985, Japan and
Canada officially agreed to participate.
In 1993, after several budget cutbacks and minor redesigns of the ISS, Russia joined the ISS program and
American President Bill Clinton, along with the US Congress, demanded that NASA redesign the space station
from the ground up, to reduce strain on the federal budget and increase international cooperation. Several
possible designs for the ISS were proposed; in the end the proposal designated "Alpha" was selected.
Construction continued in the various participating nations, but orbital assembley of the station was
delayed, largely due to funding problems for the Russian-provided modules. Finally, the Russian Federation
launched the first module of the International Space Station atop a Proton-class expendable launch vehicle
on November 20, 1998 CE. The first module, designated Zarya by the Russian government, provides living
quarters and station-keeping thrusters for the space station during its assembly phase. Unfortunately, the
Zarya module has been plagued with malfunctions, most of which were not resolved until the first permanent
station crew arrived on October 30, 2000 CE.
Now that assembly has finally begun, and the station now has its first crew, the project will not be proxmired
prior to completion. Hopefully, the International Space Station will provide not just a facility for learning
about the universe, but a springboard for further exploration.
Credits and Further Reading
For more information, read:
- NASA's official International Space Station website (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/) (Hard data was obtained here)
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