I S S

The International Space Station

By Meritxell Vila

Table of contents

What is the ISS?

Main utilities

History

Station structure

Station statistics

What is the ISS?

• Artificial satellite

• Habitable

• Turns around the Earth

• Laboratory in the sky

Main utilities

Intended to be a laboratory, observatory and factory in the space.

• Scientific research: medicine, industry, meteorology…

• Life with microgravity

• Space exploration

• Military applications

History

• 1984 project started by Ronald Reagan (USA)

• 1993 new project (including Canada, Europe and Japan)

• 1998 assembly of firsts elements in the sky

• 2000 The first astronauts started to live in the ISS

Station structure Made by assembled elements.

Main parts:

• Solar array

• Motors

• Laboratories

Station systems:

• Life support: atmospheric control, food, hygiene

• Power supply

• Thermal control

• Communication and computers

Station statistics

• Dimensions Length: 50 m - Width: 110 m - Height: 20 m

• Mass: 450 tones

• Distance to the Earth: 400 km

• Average speed: 26000 km/h

• Orbital period: 90 minutes

• Participant countries: 16

USA, Canada, Russia, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Nederland, Denmark, Norway, France, Spain, Germany, UK, Sweden, Switzerland and Brazil.