(CNN) High above us, beyond the skies, is the International Space Station, which weighs nearly 1 million pounds and has a wingspan the length of a football field. It has nine rooms, two bathrooms, two kitchens and two mini-gyms, and it is the largest spacecraft orbiting the Earth.
NASA announced this week that an instrument called ISS-RapidScat will be launched to the station in 2014 to improve weather forecasts, by doing things like monitoring hurricanes. It will also help scientists explore the Earths global wind field; tropical clouds and tropical systems are affected by wind variations caused by the sun.
Another experiment on board is called InSPACE, which stands for Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates From Colloidal Emulsions. All that means that scientists are studying magnetorheological fluids, which are complex substances that change form or harden when exposed to magnetic fields. These substances could one day be useful in robots, NASA says, acting as a blood to make the movement of joints and limbs like that of a living creature.
Its mission is multifaceted. One of the space stations main goals is to find ways to extend the length of time a human can survive in space. Other experiments include growing cells where there is no gravity and observing bodily fluid changes in different atmospheres. In 2003, scientists aboard the station studied the behavior, mating activity and irregular motility responses of young flies they brought with them from Earth.
The International Space Station is the most complex scientific and technological endeavor ever undertaken, according to a NASA statement.
To lighten things up a bit (lets not forget the ISS is the astronauts workplace and their home), astronauts periodically capture breathtaking aerial views of the Earth, which they send back down to earthlings via Twitter. Recently, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield did a video while on the space station about cutting your nails when theres no gravity.
It was former President Ronald Reagan who pushed the idea of a manned space station in Earths orbit. In what he called a new frontier at his 1984 State of the Union address, he acknowledged that (t)he Space Age is barely a quarter of a century old. But already weve pushed civilization forward with our advances and technology. Opportunities and jobs will multiply as we cross new thresholds of knowledge and reach deeper into the unknown.
Sixteen years later, the U.S. partnered with Russia, Canada, Japan and several European countries to launch the space station. Since it arrived in orbit, over 200 humans have visited the station.
None of the space agencies involved with the space station has confirmed exactly when it will deorbit, though some agencies hint that it may end some time after 2020. When the space station is decommissioned, it will likely drop from space into its new home the Pacific Ocean.
Read the rest here:
What’s happening on the space station?
- Soyuz Spacecraft Undocks to Return Three Crewmates to Earth - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Multinational team safely returns to Earth from the International Space Station - UPI News - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- US, Russian and Belarusian ISS crew members safely return to Earth - FRANCE 24 English - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Soyuz capsule with crew of 3, including 1st female astronaut from Belarus, lands safely to end ISS mission - Space.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- A Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan - Bozeman Daily Chronicle - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- NASA investigates possible space junk that crashed through Florida home - Fox Weather - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Trio Finalizes Packing, Science Activities Before Friday Departure - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Will the 2024 total solar eclipse be visible from space? - Space.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- A Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Kazakhstan Russia Space Station | Nation % World AP news of the day | chronicleonline.com - Citrus County Chronicle - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Brain Research Tops Science Schedule Ahead of Crew Departure - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mysterious object that crashed through Florida home was likely space junk from the International Space Station - Livescience.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Falling Object That Crashed Into Florida Home May Be Debris From the International Space Station - Smithsonian Magazine - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mitsubishi takes stake in Starlab Space - SpaceNews - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mysterious Object That Tore Through Florida Home May Be From the ISS - Newsweek - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Florida man nearly hit by possible space junk that tore through roof of his home: 'Almost hit my son' - New York Post - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Suspected space object crashes through roof of home in Naples, Florida - ABC News - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Former flight attendant for Belavia Airlines is back on earth from the ISS - AIRLIVE - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Space trash from the International Space Station tears through Florida mans home - WDBO - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- NASA probing where chunk of metal that hit a Florida house came from - Business Insider - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- SpaceX launches its 30th Dragon cargo mission to the ISS (video) - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX rocket launch: Coffee, cherry tomatoes heading to space station - Florida Today - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Resupply Mission Docks With Space Station - Aviation Week - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Space Station Welcomes Cargo, Awaits Crew Arrival - AmericaSpace - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- This Week @NASA: A Commercial Mission Carries Science to the Space Station - SciTechDaily - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz MS-25 flight to Space Station launches successfully after Thursday's scrub - UPI News - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Launch aborted of Russian Soyuz spacecraft seconds before blast-off - Reuters - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz rocket carrying first Belorussian woman in space en route to ISS - The Spokesman Review - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- NASA Selects New Round of Candidates for CubeSat Missions to Station - NASA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Immunology Studies and Robotics for Orbital Residents as Crew and Cargo Craft Count Down to Launch - NASA Blogs - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Russian Soyuz rocket suffers rare last-minute abort during launch of 3 astronauts to ISS (video) - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Watch Russian Soyuz rocket launch 3 spaceflyers to the ISS on March 23 - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz launches to station after scrub - SpaceNews - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Dragon soars under sunny skies Thursday to dock with International Space Station - Florida Today - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX to launch 30th cargo mission to the ISS for NASA this week - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur ... - Colorado Springs Gazette - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Astronaut and UC Davis alum Tracy C. Dyson headed to the International Space Station for 3rd mission - KCRA Sacramento - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX launches mission to International Space Station from Florida - WFLA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Notre Dame professor sends cancer research to space station - South Bend Tribune - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz launches 3 new crew members to ISS on its 71st flight - Interesting Engineering - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Astronauts Aboard ISS Find Lost Tomato Missing for 8 Months - PEOPLE - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA astronaut will celebrate Hanukkah in space with felt menorah - Space.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Four-time Space Veteran Jeff Williams to Retire from NASA - El Paso Inc. - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA astronauts finally find tomato that was lost in space for months - New York Post - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- A tomato lost for 8 months on space station has finally been found, and it is a big deal - WION - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- ISS astronauts find tomato that was lost in space for 8 months - FreshPlaza.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Watch ISS astronaut speak with Nobel Prize winners on Dec. 11 - Yahoo News - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Mysterious "red sprite" captured by space station astronaut - Earth.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts find tomato lost 8 months earlier aboard ISS - Supercar Blondie - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA pushes back timing of ISS deorbit vehicle contract - The Register - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Health, Manufacturing Science Day Before Station's 25th Anniversary - NASA Blogs - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Turns 25, Just in Time to Die - Futurism - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Tomato lost in space by astronaut has finally been found - Boing Boing - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts Just Found a Tomato That Was Missing for 8 Months in Space - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Astronauts Find Desiccated Tomato After Blaming Colleague for Its Theft - Futurism - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Public can tune in as NASA live streams space station's 25th anniversary call to crew - UPI News - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Happy Zero-Gravity Hanukkah! Jewish Holiday Celebrated Aboard International Space Station - The Weekly Journal - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Crew Proves Missing Tomato Wasn't Eaten By Astronaut - Tasting Table - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts from these countries have been the most frequent visitors to the International Space Station - Times of India - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Missing tomato recovered after being lost on the ISS for 8 months - Digital Trends - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA Terrified of Space Station Careening Out of Control and Crashing Into People - Futurism - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Cosmonauts on ISS spacewalk encounter toxic coolant 'blob' while inspecting leaky radiator - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Unbelievable video demonstrating speed of the ISS is blowing people's minds - UNILAD - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Putin Approves Development Of Russian Space Station - Aviation Week - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- NASA's SpaceX CRS-29 Mission Flies Research to the Space Station - NASA - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Progress Continues Toward NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test to Station - NASA - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Mind-blowing animation shows the speed of the International Space ... - UNILAD - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- China sends 29 biological samples to its space station onboard ... - CGTN - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- How To Solve All Herta Space Station Puzzles In Aetherium Wars Of ... - TheGamer - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Honkai Star Rail: The Complete Story of Herta Space Station ... - TheGamer - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Sun breaks out with highest number of sunspots since in more than ... - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Is there an 'up' and a 'down' in space? - Livescience.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- The top 10 Ariane 5 rocket launches of all time - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- SpaceX rocket launches Euclid space telescope to map the 'dark ... - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- NASAs ChatGPT-like AI will let spaceships talk to astronauts - Freethink - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Space Force is redefining outer space as a theater of war - The Washington Post - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- FEATURE: How the Satellite Applications Catapult replicates space ... - Professional Engineering - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen says a Canadian will walk on ... - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- EU should take lead on cleaning up environment in space - EUobserver - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Blue Origin looks to expand beyond US with international launch site - Financial Times - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]