International Space Station
Years in Orbit
Astronauts Visited
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
About the International Space Station
The station was designed between 1984 and 1993. Elements of the station were in construction throughout the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe beginning in the late 1980s.
The International Space Station Program brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, globally distributed launch and flight operations, training, engineering, and development facilities, communications networks, and the international scientific research community.
Read More about About the International Space StationExpedition 72
Expedition 72 began on Sept. 23, 2024 and ends in Spring 2025. The orbital residents will explore a variety of space phenomena to benefit humans on and off the Earth…
Learn MoreSpace Station Daily Blog Update
Daily updates from the orbiting laboratory
Read the Daily BlogStation Assembly Elements
Explore the International Space Station.
We are driven to explore the unknown, discover new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and then push further.
Read More on Assembly ElementsInternational Cooperation
The International Space Station Program’s greatest accomplishment is as much a human achievement as it is a technological one—how best to plan, coordinate, and monitor the varied activities of many organizations and operations.
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the space station. The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Facts and Figures
Explore quick facts about the International Space Station.
Learn more about the international collaboration, missions, research, and technology that make the space station a unique place.
Read MoreStation Visitors
Over 260 individuals representing 20 countries and five International Partners have visited the International Space Station.
Learn more about the people from around the world who have visited the station.
Read More on Station VisitorsStation Record Holders
NASA astronauts often spend extended periods of time aboard the International Space Station.
NASA tracks and publishes the single spaceflight record holders (the most days spent in space on a single mission) and the cumulative days in space record holders (combined time in space over an astronaut’s career).
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the orbital complex.
Launched in 1998 and involving the U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan, and the participating countries of the European Space Agency — the International Space Station is one of the most complex international collaborations ever attempted.
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Media
To view more images, visit the Space Station Gallery.
Space Station Videos
A YouTube playlist containing a variety of videos about the International Space Station.
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