The International Space Station is
one of the technological wonders of our times, also considered one of the great achievements of Humanity . This
station is a research
center that is in Earth orbit, the management,
development and administration is under international cooperation. The
space station works permanently, that means that researchers and astronauts
rotate.
The participating
Space Agencies are: the Russian Federal Space Agency (FKA) , the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) , the Japan Space Exploration
Agency (JAXA) ,
the Canadian Space Agency (CSA )
and the Space Agency European (ESA) . The Italian and Brazilian Agencies participate
through contracts, it should be noted that the Italian Space Agency also
participates in works through the European Space Agency.
The Station is
currently maintained thanks to Russia's Soyuz launchers and the Progress spacecraft ,
due to the fact that the United States canceled its space shuttle program due
to gigantic costs, in 2011 the Space Shuttle stopped operating.
Given the future
plans and visions, the International
Space Station should operate at least until the year 2024.
The Station has reached approximate dimensions of 110 meters x 100 meters x 30
meters, also presenting a large habitable surface.
The station has
been visited by more than 205 people , in the beginning the
station could accommodate only three astronauts, currently it is capable of six
people. You have been the destination of the International Space Station of
the first space tourists, it is 400 kilometers high and its mass is
approximately 420 tons, the energy that powers the station is provided by photovoltaic solar panels, the
largest built in space.
History of the
International Space Station.
On November 20,
1998, the Russian Proton
rocket launched into orbit the largest and main module of
the International Space Station, which was designed to provide the space
station with initial propulsion capacity and power. Later, NASA put
the Unity node into
orbit by space shuttle Endeavour ,
on December 2 of the same year.
For the year 2000
specifically on July 12, 2000, the second named Russian service module was
annexed; Zvezdá ,
which provided the space station with life support systems, preparing it to
receive the first astronauts . On November 2 of the same
year, aboard the Soyuz rocket, the first crew members of the International
Space Station were transported, who were sent on October 31. The photovoltaic module ,
which provides power to the entire station, was sent a month later.
On February 7,
2001, the most important laboratory "Destiny" was
attached to the space station , by means of the shuttle Atlantis . Later
on April 19, the first arm was placed on the space station, on July 12 of the
same year, so that the crew could leave the space station and take the first
space walks, a decompression
chamber was added .
It was on February
27, 2004 that crewmembers Alexandr Kaleri and Michael Foale performed the first spacewalk , most
of which was for the installation of external equipment. The shuttle Discovery successfully
docked with the station on July 7, 2006, astronauts Thomas Reiter (German),
Pavel Vinogradov (Russian) and Jeff Williams (American) were the permanent crew
of the complex. By December 2010, the mass of the station had already
reached 370 tons .
Space Station Modules.
Among the modules
of the International Space
Station are distinguished: the pressurized and
non-pressurized modules. They are the pressurized modules where astronauts
live and work, since human beings are not capable of surviving in a vacuum.
The Russian Zarya module and the
American Destiny laboratory
are among the pressurized modules while the rack structures and solar panels
are not pressurized. There is a life support system on board the space
station, which is responsible for providing an atmospheric environment similar
to that of the earth.
Pressurized Modules.
On the pressurized
modules of the space station, one of them the Zarya module , the
first component sent into space to be part of the station, was built and
launched by Russia and financed by the United States, has a life span
of approximately 15 years , its design was to achieve the initial power and propulsion of the station ,
the side hatches allow the docking of Russian ships. The first all-Russian
contribution was the Zyezda
service module , which served as the station's first
living quarters.
The primary
research laboratory is Destiny ,
in which an important variety of experiments and studies are carried out that
plan to contribute to the quality of life of humanity on the planet and
health. Most experiments are in the absence of gravity.
Destiny stores a
total of 24 Racks ,
which are metal supports that house computer, electronic and communication
equipment. Racks are used both for research
on new materials , experiments, earth observations and also
commercial use. They are
storage space and control units, microgravitation experiments
are currently being developed . Also found as part of the station,
the Unity Node. Which
is a gallery that connects the work and accommodation areas, with a length of
6.5 meters and a diameter of 5.5 meters.
The Pirs decompression chamber contains
two docking systems for junction with both the Soyuz and Zviozda , it also
contains two hatches for extravehicular exits. The station has a
laboratory called Columbus and
one called Kibo ,
the latter of which was designed to accelerate advances in science and
technology in Japan. It has a Dome that
serves as a control and observatory area, and a bathroom designed for
astronauts.
Non-Pressurized Modules.
Regarding the
non-pressurized modules, there is the Integrated Frame Structure , it is the one
that supports the mobile structure of the Canadian arm, the radiators and the
immense solar panels that are at its ends. There are radiators that are
responsible for evacuating excess heat through irradiation elements, in each
module there is one.
The Solar Panels are fixed
to elements that can move on two axes, so that they can be directed optimally
and at all times towards the sun, in the initial phase of construction smaller
solar panels located next to the Russian modules were used . The station
has made great progress both technically and in terms of space, so that they
are of better comfort to the astronauts who will stay on long expeditions, it
has two bathrooms and
a gym .
Space Station Target.
The International Space Station was
intended to be a laboratory, factory, and observatory in low Earth
orbit. It provides an environment for scientific research that is not possible
to do on Earth, the main research fields include: space medicine, astrobiology,
astronomy, physical sciences, materials science, space weather, meteorology and
life science. It is also planned to provide maintenance, transport and act
as a test base for possible
future missions to Mars, the Moon and
asteroids. There is the station to diplomatic, educational and commercial
services.
