The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station in low Earth orbit, assembled and maintained through a collaboration of five space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). Orbiting approximately 250 miles above Earth, it travels at about 17,500 miles per hour, completing roughly 15.5 orbits per day. The ISS serves as a versatile research institute, offering a platform for conducting scientific experiments in microgravity and studying the space environment, which cannot be replicated on Earth.
A key feature of the ISS is its Integrated Truss Structure, which connects the station's solar panels and radiators to its pressurized modules. These modules support various functions, including scientific research, crew habitation, storage, spacecraft control, and airlock operations. Long-term occupancy of the ISS began on November 2, 2000. November 2, 2025, marked 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the ISS. As of August 2025, 290 individuals from 26 countries had visited the station. Expedition 74 began on December 8, 2025 and will end in Summer 2026. NASA aims to keep the ISS operational until the end of 2030.
