International Space Station
The International Space Station project is a partnership between 16 countries, including the United States. The first astronauts took up residence on November 2, 2000, and it has been continuously occupied since then!
The station is still being constructed, and weighs a hefty 404,069 pounds! The interior living area is about 15,000 cubic feet, and there are areas for the crew to sleep, exercise and perform experiments. But there is not a lot of extra storage space for belongings or waste. Everything onboard has a purpose, and there are 'No Washers or Dryers in Space.'
The main purpose of the International Station is scientific research, and planned experiments cover areas such as biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology. With all of the astronauts spending lots of time on the space station, NASA is learning a lot about the long-term effects of zero-gravity on the human body.
