The first International Space Station component, the Russian Zarya module, was launched 15 years ago today, on November 20, 1998. Since then, a consortium of 15 different nations have constructed a world-class orbiting laboratory, with a continual human presence onboard since 2000. Construction was considered officially complete in 2011, but new modules are still planned.
NASA is celebrating the milestone with an infographic showcasing some of the amazing and surprising facts about humanity’s home away from Earth. See below for the infographic, as well as two videos with highlights from the past 15 years of the ISS:
To keep tabs on what is going on daily at the ISS, visit NASA’s ISS webpage. You can also find out how to see the station for yourself at spotthestation.nasa.gov or watch live station video at www.nasa.gov/iss-stream.
Wow… This milestone also represents 15 years without a major conflict or ‘incident’ between Russia and the USA! ??? ??????! (Eta harashO! – That’s good!)