Discover the latest information about the world's largest satellite.
What is ISS?
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station in low Earth orbit, built and maintained by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA. It serves as a platform for scientific experiments in microgravity and for studying the space environment. The ISS is the largest space station ever built and plays a key role in advancing space research.
Timeline of the International Space Station
Launch of the First ISS Module
The first module, Zarya, was launched into orbit, marking the start of the ISS assembly.
November 20, 1998Arrival of Unity Module
The Unity module, the first U.S. component of the ISS, was launched aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour.
December 4, 1998First Crew Arrival
Expedition 1, the first long-term crew, arrived on the ISS, beginning continuous human presence in orbit.
November 2, 2000Completion of U.S. Destiny Laboratory
The Destiny Laboratory Module, an advanced research lab, was installed on the ISS.
February 7, 2001Completion of European Columbus Module
The European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory was added, expanding scientific capabilities.
February 2008Completion of U.S. Segment
The U.S. segment of the ISS was completed with the installation of the Tranquility module and Cupola.
2011First Commercial Resupply Mission
SpaceX's Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the ISS.
October 8, 2012First Commercial Crew Mission
SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 launched the first astronauts on a commercial spacecraft to the ISS.
May 30, 2020ISS 20th Anniversary
The ISS celebrated 20 years of continuous human presence in space.
November 2, 2020Axiom Mission 1
The first all-private astronaut mission to the ISS, launched by SpaceX, marked a milestone in commercial spaceflight.
April 8, 2022Current Operation and Research
The ISS continues to serve as a platform for international collaboration and advanced scientific research.
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