Spacecraft
International Space Station
Also Known As ISS
Space Station
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A modular space station in low Earth orbit, assembled beginning in November 1998 and jointly operated by NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency. Continuously crewed since November 2000, it holds the record for the longest continuous human presence in space and is expected to remain operational through 2030.
Facts
Spacecraft Type Launch DateDate of the Zarya module's launch, the first ISS component; assembly continued for over a decade afterward. ManufacturerMulti-national: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (Russian segment), NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Michoud Assembly Facility (US segment), ESA (Columbus), JAXA (Kibo) 2 StatusOperational; continuously crewed since 2 November 2000. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi flew a NASA Commercial Crew mission to the ISS in 2023, under the UAE's Artemis Accords partnership.
Operated By
Canada is an ISS international partner; the Canadian Space Agency provides and operates the station's Mobile Servicing System (Canadarm2, Dextre, the Mobile Base System).
NASA is the lead partner; the ISS is jointly operated with Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency under the Intergovernmental Agreement.
Sources
1. NASA History Office
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationInternational Space Station, lead sectionQuote, International Space Station, lead section
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station in low Earth orbit (LEO). It is the product of the International Space Station program and is operated by five partner space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationInternational Space Station, Assembly section (Zarya)Quote, International Space Station, Assembly section (Zarya)
The beginning of the core of the ISS's tenure in orbit was the launch of the Russian-built Zarya module atop a Proton rocket on 20 November 1998.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationInternational Space Station, Wikipedia - assembly and modules sectionQuote, International Space Station, Wikipedia - assembly and modules section
The modules of the Russian Orbital Segment, including Zarya and Zvezda, were produced at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Moscow.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationOperated By: Canadian Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency (Wikipedia) - ISS roboticsQuote, Operated By: Canadian Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency (Wikipedia) - ISS robotics
Canadarm2 (SSRMS), Dextre (SPDM), mobile base system (MBS) and multiple robotics workstations that together make up the Mobile Servicing System on the ISS.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: UAE Space Agency, United Arab Emirates Space Agency, lead section
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