Space Stations

Credit: NASA – International Space Station

A space station is a man made artificial satellite, orbiting a planet, designed for manned operations (humans and animals) in space for a long-term base (days, months and even years).

The only Space stations built so far orbit earth.

  • In 1971, the Soviet “Salyut 1”, was the first launched low earth orbit space station, that was occupied for 24 days by 3 crew members of the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 11. Unfortunately, the crew passed away during re-entry procedure.
  • In 1973, the first US space station “Skylab” was launched into low earth orbit, that was occupied  for 171 days by 3 crew members.
  • In 1986, the Soviet launched “Mir”, with a standard crew of 3 and over 104 astronauts from 12 nations over its life, that ended in 2001.
  • In 1998, the giant International Space Station (ISS) was built in stages and boarded the first crew in 2000. The ISS is now in space and home to many astronauts, researchers and scientists.

Salyut 1

Skylab

Mir

ISS

Video “HOW IT WORKS: The International Space Station” explaining each interior area of the ISS, crew living quarters, and scientific equipment, by DOCUMENTARY TUBE.

Article adapted from Encyclopedia of Space, by Miles Kelly

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