The International Space Station (ISS) is a permanently crewed microgravity laboratory in low Earth orbit run by an international partnership (NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, CSA). It’s basically a full-size research campus circling Earth where astronauts live, maintain the station, and run experiments you can’t do the same way on the ground. � NASA +2 What the ISS does (core jobs) Microgravity science lab: Runs experiments in biology, medicine, physics, and materials where “weightlessness” changes how fluids mix, how cells behave, and how crystals grow. � NASA +1 Human health & spaceflight research: Studies how the body adapts to long-duration space living (bones, muscles, immune system, vision, etc.)—key for safer future missions and useful for understanding health on Earth. � NASA +1 Technology testbed: Tests life-support systems, robotics, communications, and other hardware in the harsh space environment before using them on future missions. � ESA Space Economy +1 Earth & space observation platform: The station is also used for observing Earth and space (including atmosphere, weather, and environmental monitoring applications). � ESA Space Economy +1 International cooperation + education: It’s one of the longest-running, largest multinational engineering/science collaborations ever, and it supports student and public science programs. � NASA +1 How it’s good for Earth and human beings Here are the big, practical “Earth benefits” buckets: Medical & biotech progress: Microgravity can make certain biological processes easier to study (like protein crystallization, cell growth behavior, and tissue research), helping drug development and biomedical understanding. NASA publishes regular “Benefits for Humanity” summaries of research impacts. � NASA +1 New materials & manufacturing insights: Without buoyancy-driven convection and sedimentation, some materials can form differently, which helps scientists understand (and sometimes improve) manufacturing processes. � DLR Better preparedness for long-duration missions: The ISS is the main place we learn how to keep people healthy and functional for months in space—knowledge that feeds into safer spaceflight systems and can translate to health monitoring and remote care approaches on Earth. � NASA +1 Growing the “low Earth orbit economy”: The station has become a stepping stone for commercial research, in-space testing, and operations experience that private stations and companies build on. � NASA +1 Key specs (the “numbers”) Orbit & motion Altitude: about 370–460 km above Earth � NASA +1 Inclination: 51.6° � NASA +1 Speed: about 7.6–7.7 km/s (~27,500 km/h) � ESA Space Economy +1 Orbit time: roughly every ~90 minutes around Earth � NASA Reboost needed: Earth’s thin upper atmosphere drags it down over time, so visiting vehicles (or station thrusters) periodically boost its orbit. � NASA Size & mass Mass: ~450,000 kg (completed) � ESA Space Economy Dimensions (ESA): 108 m wide, 74 m long (about 88 m including some docked cargo craft), 45 m high � ESA Space Economy Pressurized volume: ~1,200 m³ � ESA Space Economy Crew & operations Typical crew: 7 people � NASA Continuously occupied since: November 2000 � NASA Power Solar power: the ISS uses large solar arrays; total generation varies by configuration and sunlight, with typical station power often described in the tens to 100+ kilowatts range. (For example, the ISS solar array system is commonly cited as producing roughly ~84–120 kW average depending on conditions.) � Wikipedia +2 What’s inside it (in plain terms) The ISS is built from many connected modules: living areas, labs, storage, airlocks, docking ports, and a huge external truss that holds radiators and solar arrays. Different partners contributed major lab modules (like Europe’s Columbus and Japan’s Kibo) and resupply/crew vehicles dock to keep it running. � ESA Space Economy +1
Possible Impossible
The International Space Station (ISS) is a permanently crewed microgravity laboratory in low Earth orbit run by an international partnership (NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, CSA). It’s basically a full-size research campus circling Earth where astronauts live, maintain the station, and run experiments you can’t do the same way on the ground. �
NASA +2
What the ISS does (core jobs)
Microgravity science lab: Runs experiments in biology, medicine, physics, and materials where “weightlessness” changes how fluids mix, how cells behave, and how crystals grow. �
NASA +1
Human health & spaceflight research: Studies how the body adapts to long-duration space living (bones, muscles, immune system, vision, etc.)—key for safer future missions and useful for understanding health on Earth. �
NASA +1
Technology testbed: Tests life-support systems, robotics, communications, and other hardware in the harsh space environment before using them on future missions. �
ESA Space Economy +1
Earth & space observation platform: The station is also used for observing Earth and space (including atmosphere, weather, and environmental monitoring applications). �
ESA Space Economy +1
International cooperation + education: It’s one of the longest-running, largest multinational engineering/science collaborations ever, and it supports student and public science programs. �
NASA +1
How it’s good for Earth and human beings
Here are the big, practical “Earth benefits” buckets:
Medical & biotech progress: Microgravity can make certain biological processes easier to study (like protein crystallization, cell growth behavior, and tissue research), helping drug development and biomedical understanding. NASA publishes regular “Benefits for Humanity” summaries of research impacts. �
NASA +1
New materials & manufacturing insights: Without buoyancy-driven convection and sedimentation, some materials can form differently, which helps scientists understand (and sometimes improve) manufacturing processes. �
DLR
Better preparedness for long-duration missions: The ISS is the main place we learn how to keep people healthy and functional for months in space—knowledge that feeds into safer spaceflight systems and can translate to health monitoring and remote care approaches on Earth. �
NASA +1
Growing the “low Earth orbit economy”: The station has become a stepping stone for commercial research, in-space testing, and operations experience that private stations and companies build on. �
NASA +1
Key specs (the “numbers”)
Orbit & motion
Altitude: about 370–460 km above Earth �
NASA +1
Inclination: 51.6° �
NASA +1
Speed: about 7.6–7.7 km/s (~27,500 km/h) �
ESA Space Economy +1
Orbit time: roughly every ~90 minutes around Earth �
NASA
Reboost needed: Earth’s thin upper atmosphere drags it down over time, so visiting vehicles (or station thrusters) periodically boost its orbit. �
NASA
Size & mass
Mass: ~450,000 kg (completed) �
ESA Space Economy
Dimensions (ESA): 108 m wide, 74 m long (about 88 m including some docked cargo craft), 45 m high �
ESA Space Economy
Pressurized volume: ~1,200 m³ �
ESA Space Economy
Crew & operations
Typical crew: 7 people �
NASA
Continuously occupied since: November 2000 �
NASA
Power
Solar power: the ISS uses large solar arrays; total generation varies by configuration and sunlight, with typical station power often described in the tens to 100+ kilowatts range. (For example, the ISS solar array system is commonly cited as producing roughly ~84–120 kW average depending on conditions.) �
Wikipedia +2
What’s inside it (in plain terms)
The ISS is built from many connected modules: living areas, labs, storage, airlocks, docking ports, and a huge external truss that holds radiators and solar arrays. Different partners contributed major lab modules (like Europe’s Columbus and Japan’s Kibo) and resupply/crew vehicles dock to keep it running. �
ESA Space Economy +1
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