On Nov. 20, 1998, the first module of the International Space Station was launched, beginning a new era of humans living in space.
Once science fiction, the vision of a space station became reality as the Apollo program closed and the space race faded. The U.S. and Soviet Union turned from competition to collaboration. The Zarya segment, launched from Kazakhstan, was joined by a U.S. segment one month later.
The first crew arrived on Nov. 2, 2000. NASA astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev lived in an area about 50 feet long.
Over the next 10 years, 30 missions built the ISS into the size of a football field, including the end zones. It’s a grand collaboration of several space agencies and many nations. The permanently crewed station orbits 250 miles above Earth, circling every 90 minutes. Its bright beacon of light passes over the same place every three days.
On ISS, robots are used to observe and study our beautiful planet. Geologists study what Earth is made of, and meteorologists study the weather. Astronauts can monitor floods, fires, avalanches, glaciers and coral reefs. At the same time, micro-gravity experiments on cell biology and protein crystals are finding innovative ways to treat and prevent disease.
Learn more about the International Space Station at Carnegie Science Center with new programs at Buhl Planetarium.
First Published: November 14, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
