International Space Station (ISS)
In his 1984 state of the union address, President Ronald Reagan called on NASA to develop a permanently manned space outpost, and do it within a decade.
That’s sparks the most complex engineering in history, the International Space Station (ISS). It took 5 different space agencies representing 15 countries cooperating in the 100bn dollar project.
The International Space Station is the earth's largest artificial satellite. The 450 kilo structure orbits the earth 250 miles above our head at the average speed of just under 8 kilometers per second. Though it is the ninth inhabited space station, the largest, longest and the first truly international space station. Too large to be launched into orbit in one go, the space station has been assembled in space over the years from individual modules.
The first module Zarya was launched in November 1998, the station remained unmanned for two years until the installation of the Zvezda module which added the crucial life-support systems which enabled astronauts to live aboard the space station.
Zarya and Zvezda module.
Most of the early modules as well as equipment and personnel were taken into orbit by NASA’s space shuttles until the shuttle program ended in 2011. Since then it has mainly fallen upon the Soyuz Rockets to deliver new modules, supplies and astronauts.
Soyuz capsule
The ISS now consists of 15 interconnected modules with U.S, Russian, European, Japanese and Canadian labs and equipment. Living in working conditions are pretty cramped with much of the station a labyrinth of tubes and tunnels with virtually every available surface cluttered with pipes cables controls and equipment.
ISS interior
In addition to the labs and working areas the station provides living space for up to six astronauts, training equipment to combat muscle and bone atrophy caused by micro-gravity conditions and the popular cupola viewing window which bears more than a passing resemblance to the turret of the Millennium Falcon.
Is it a tip of the hat to another spacefaring icon? I like to think so.
From its vantage point 250 miles above our planet, the ISS is the perfect place to view and study the earth. Observations from the station have been instrumental in building a deeper understanding of our planets complex weather systems. In particular, the space station was the perfect platform from which to view sprites upwards electrical discharges that occurred during lightning storms and are impossible to view from the ground. The vantage point from the ISS has also given a new perspective on volcanic eruptions and the chance to better study the behavior of the dust and smoke clouds that are thrown skywards in violent volcanic eruptions.
Cupola viewing window
The space station is also of course a perfect platform from where to study space itself, its laboratories offer the ability to conduct long-term experiments in near space conditions offering valuable insights and the ability to test theorems more fully than is possible on terra firma. Having permanent labs and scientists in space also means new experiments can be conducted without the lengthy and costly logistics of planning, constructing and launching a dedicated space mission. This means the spacefaring labs can respond to new discoveries and data far quicker and fully explore ideas and hypotheses.
astronauts conducting experiments
Studying deep space is also far easier from a position in space itself free of the distortions and interference created by our atmosphere. Just as the Hubble telescope was a game changer when it came to deep-space imaging, ISS borne instruments will massively improve our understanding of the cosmos. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer or AMS is one such sensor built to detect the ever evasive Dark Matter installed in 2011, the AMS has already gathered significant evidence that goes part way to proving current theories about the nature of the universe.
The International Space Station is also intended to be a stepping stone into deeper space, providing an in orbit launch pad for missions to the moon, Mars and beyond as well as a physical place to assemble in launch spacecraft the station acts as a test and development bed able to carry out long-term tests and systems in a true space environment. It is not just the machines being tested however, conditions aboard the space station also give unique insights in how the astronauts themselves will cope on the long journeys to Mars and beyond.
The International Space Station is truly our bridge into space.
References for further reading: Ref1, Ref2, Ref3, Ref4, Ref5
Thanks to 
for the amazing toon.
