The International Space Station is the result of the joint work of specialists from a number of fields from sixteen countries of the world (Russia, the USA, Canada, Japan, the states that are members of the European community). The grandiose project, which in 2013 celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the start of its implementation, embodies all the achievements of the technical thought of our time. An impressive part of the material about the near and far space and some terrestrial phenomena and processes of scientists is provided by the international space station. The ISS, however, was not built in one day; its creation was preceded by almost thirty years of astronautical history.
How it all began
The forerunners of the ISS were Soviet technicians and engineers. Work on the Almaz project began at the end of 1964. Scientists were working on a manned orbital station, which could accommodate 2-3 astronauts. It was assumed that "Diamond" will serve for two years and all this time will be used for research. According to the project, the main part of the complex was the OPS - manned orbital station. It housed the working areas of the crew members, as well as the household compartment. The OPS was equipped with two hatches for spacewalks and dropping special capsules with information to Earth, as well as a passive docking station.
The efficiency of the station is largely determined by its energy reserves. The developers of Almaz found a way to increase them many times over. The delivery of astronauts and various cargo to the station was carried out by transport supply ships (TKS). They, among other things, were equipped with an active docking system, a powerful energy resource, and an excellent traffic control system. TKS was able to supply the station with energy for a long time, as well as manage the entire complex. All subsequent similar projects, including the international space station, were created using the same method of saving OPS resources.
First
Rivalry with the United States forced Soviet scientists and engineers to work as quickly as possible, so another orbital station, Salyut, was created in the shortest possible time. She was taken into space in April 1971. The basis of the station is the so-called working compartment, which includes two cylinders, small and large. Inside the smaller diameter there was a control center, sleeping places and recreation areas, storage and eating. The larger cylinder contained scientific equipment, simulators, without which no such flight can do, and there was also a shower cabin and a toilet isolated from the rest of the room.
Each next Salyut was somewhat different from the previous one: it was equipped with the latest equipment, had design features that corresponded to the development of technology and knowledge of that time. These orbital stations marked the beginning of a new era in the study of space and terrestrial processes. "Salutes" were the base on which were held in in large numbers research in medicine, physics, industry and agriculture. It is also difficult to overestimate the experience of using the orbital station, which was successfully applied during the operation of the next manned complex.
"World"
The process of accumulating experience and knowledge was a long one, the result of which was the international space station. "Mir" - a modular manned complex - its next stage. The so-called block principle of creating a station was tested on it, when for some time the main part of it increases its technical and research power through the addition of new modules. It will subsequently be “borrowed” by the international space station. Mir became a model of our country's technical and engineering prowess and actually provided it with one of the leading roles in the creation of the ISS.
Work on the construction of the station began in 1979, and it was delivered into orbit on February 20, 1986. During the entire existence of the Mir, various studies were carried out on it. The necessary equipment was delivered as part of additional modules. The Mir station allowed scientists, engineers and researchers to gain invaluable experience in using this scale. In addition, it has become a place of peaceful international interaction: in 1992, an Agreement on Cooperation in Space was signed between Russia and the United States. It actually began to be implemented in 1995, when the American Shuttle went to the Mir station.
Completion of the flight
The Mir station has become the site of a variety of studies. Here they analyzed, refined and opened data in the field of biology and astrophysics, space technology and medicine, geophysics and biotechnology.
The station ended its existence in 2001. The reason for the decision to flood it was the development of an energy resource, as well as some accidents. Various versions of the object's rescue were put forward, but they were not accepted, and in March 2001 the Mir station was submerged in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Creation of the international space station: preparatory stage
The idea of creating the ISS arose at a time when no one had yet thought of flooding the Mir. The indirect reason for the emergence of the station was the political and financial crisis in our country and economic problems in the United States. Both powers realized their inability to cope alone with the task of creating an orbital station. In the early nineties, a cooperation agreement was signed, one of the points of which was the international space station. The ISS as a project united not only Russia and the United States, but also, as already noted, fourteen more countries. Simultaneously with the selection of participants, the approval of the ISS project took place: the station will consist of two integrated units, American and Russian, and will be completed in orbit in a modular way similar to Mir.
"Dawn"
The first international space station began its existence in orbit in 1998. On November 20, with the help of a Proton rocket, a Russian-made functional cargo block Zarya was launched. It became the first segment of the ISS. Structurally, it was similar to some of the modules of the Mir station. It is interesting that the American side proposed to build the ISS directly in orbit, and only the experience of Russian colleagues and the example of Mir persuaded them towards the modular method.
Inside, Zarya is equipped with various instruments and equipment, docking, power supply, and control. An impressive amount of equipment, including fuel tanks, radiators, cameras and solar panels, is located on the outside of the module. All external elements are protected from meteorites by special screens.
Module by module
On December 5, 1998, the Endeavor shuttle with the American Unity docking module headed for Zarya. Two days later, the Unity was docked to the Zarya. Further, the international space station “acquired” the Zvezda service module, which was also manufactured in Russia. Zvezda was a modernized base unit of the Mir station.
The docking of the new module took place on July 26, 2000. From that moment on, Zvezda took over control of the ISS, as well as all life support systems, and it became possible for the cosmonaut team to stay permanently on the station.
Transition to manned mode
The first crew of the international space station was delivered by Soyuz TM-31 on November 2, 2000. It included V. Shepherd - the expedition commander, Yu. Gidzenko - the pilot, - the flight engineer. From that moment, a new stage in the operation of the station began: it switched to a manned mode.
Composition of the second expedition: James Voss and Susan Helms. She changed her first crew in early March 2001.
and earthly phenomena
The International Space Station is a venue for various activities. The task of each crew is, among other things, to collect data on some space processes, study the properties of certain substances under weightless conditions, and so on. Scientific research carried out on the ISS can be presented in the form of a generalized list:
- observation of various remote space objects;
- study of cosmic rays;
- observation of the Earth, including the study of atmospheric phenomena;
- study of the features of physical and bioprocesses under weightlessness;
- testing of new materials and technologies in outer space;
- medical research, including the creation of new drugs, testing of diagnostic methods in weightlessness;
- production of semiconductor materials.
Future
Like any other object subjected to such a heavy load and so intensively exploited, the ISS will sooner or later cease to function at the required level. Initially, it was assumed that its “shelf life” would end in 2016, that is, the station was given only 15 years. However, already from the first months of its operation, assumptions began to sound that this period was somewhat underestimated. Today, hopes are expressed that the international space station will operate until 2020. Then, probably, the same fate awaits her as the Mir station: the ISS will be flooded in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Today, the international space station, the photo of which is presented in the article, successfully continues to orbit around our planet. From time to time in the media you can find references to new research done on board the station. The ISS is also the only object of space tourism: only at the end of 2012 it was visited by eight amateur astronauts.
It can be assumed that this type of entertainment will only gain strength, since the Earth from space is a bewitching view. And no photograph can be compared with the opportunity to contemplate such beauty from the window of the international space station.
> 10 facts you didn't know about the ISS
Most Interesting Facts about the ISS(International Space Station) with a photo: the life of astronauts, you can see the ISS from Earth, crew members, gravity, batteries.
The International Space Station (ISS) is one of the greatest achievements of all mankind in terms of the state of the art in history. The space agencies of the USA, Europe, Russia, Canada and Japan united in the name of science and education. It is a symbol of technological excellence and shows how much we can achieve when we work together. Listed below are 10 facts you may not have heard about the ISS.
1. The ISS celebrated its 10th anniversary of continuous human operation on November 2, 2010. Starting from the first expedition (October 31, 2000) and docking (November 2), 196 people from eight countries visited the station.
2. The ISS can be seen from Earth without the use of technology, and it is the largest artificial satellite ever orbiting our planet.
3. From the first Zarya module, launched at 1:40 am ET on November 20, 1998, the ISS completed 68,519 Earth orbits. Her odometer reads 1.7 billion miles (2.7 billion km).
4. As of November 2, 103 launches were made to the cosmodrome: 67 Russian vehicles, 34 shuttles, one European and one Japanese vessel. 150 spacewalks were made to assemble the station and keep it running, which took over 944 hours.
5. The ISS is operated by a crew of 6 astronauts and cosmonauts. At the same time, the program of the station ensures the continuous presence of man in space since the launch of the first expedition on October 31, 2000, which is approximately 10 years and 105 days. Thus, the program has kept the current record, beating the previous mark of 3664 days set aboard the Mir.
6. The ISS serves as a research laboratory equipped with microgravity conditions, in which the crew conducts experiments in the field of biology, medicine, physics, chemistry and physiology, as well as astronomical and meteorological observations.
7. The station is equipped with huge solar panels, the size of which covers the territory of the US football field, including the end zone, and weighs 827,794 pounds (275,481 kg). The complex has a habitable room (like a five bedroom house) equipped with two bathrooms and a gym.
8. 3 million lines of software code on Earth support 1.8 million lines of flight code.
9. A 55-foot robotic arm is capable of lifting 220,000 feet of weight. For comparison, this is how much an orbital shuttle weighs.
10. Acres of solar panels provide 75-90 kilowatts of power for the ISS.
A documentary film by the Roscosmos television studio dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station. The film premiered on the Kultura TV channel on November 19, 2018.
A star named ISS. International Space Station, abbr.
The ISS is a manned orbital station used as a multi-purpose space research complex.
20 years ago, construction began on the International Space Station. How the largest man-made object in orbit was created.
Exactly 20 years ago, on November 20, 1998, the construction of the International Space Station began, today it is the largest extraterrestrial laboratory, where cosmonauts from different countries peace.
14 countries participate in the ISS project, including European countries and Canada, Brazil and the United Kingdom, which initially participated, later withdrew from the project.
The ISS is unique in its size and the abundance of all kinds of records set on it. The cost of the station exceeds $ 150 billion - this makes it the most expensive man-made object in the history of mankind, created in a single copy. .
The station is about the size of a football field, 109 meters long, 73 meters wide, and weighs over 400 tons. The total volume of the station is 916 cubic meters, the habitable volume is 388 cubic meters.
For the entire period of operation, 136 launches from the Earth were carried out to the station. Station elements were delivered 42 times: 37 times on American shuttles, five times on Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets.
The station makes one revolution around the Earth in an hour and a half, in the sky it is visible as the third brightest object after the Moon and Venus.
Orbit height: 408 km
Orbital speed: 7.66 km/s
Max. speed: 27,600 km/h
Starting weight: 417 300 kg
Cost: 150 billion USD
For 2018, the ISS includes 15 main modules: Russian - Zarya, Zvezda, Pirs, Poisk, Rassvet; American - Unity, Destiny, Quest, Harmony, Tranquility, Domes, Leonardo; European "Columbus"; Japanese "Kibo" (consisting of two parts); as well as the experimental module "BEAM".
February 20, 1986 The first module of the Mir station was launched into orbit, which for many years became a symbol of Soviet and then Russian space exploration. For more than ten years it has not existed, but the memory of it will remain in history. And today we will tell you about the most significant facts and events concerning orbital station "Mir".
Orbital station Mir - All-Union shock construction
The traditions of all-Union construction projects of the fifties and seventies, during which the largest and most significant objects of the country were erected, continued in the eighties with the creation of the Mir orbital station. True, it was not low-skilled Komsomol members brought from different parts of the USSR who worked on it, but the best production capacities of the state. In total, about 280 enterprises operating under the auspices of 20 ministries and departments worked on this project. The Mir station project began to be developed back in 1976. It was supposed to become a fundamentally new man-made space object - a real orbital city where people could live and work for a long time. Moreover, not only astronauts from the countries of the Eastern bloc, but also from the states of the West.
Station Mir and the space shuttle Buran. Active works on the construction of the orbital station began in 1979, but in 1984 they were temporarily suspended - all the forces of the space industry Soviet Union went to the creation of the shuttle "Buran". However, the intervention of senior party officials, who planned to launch the object for the XXVII Congress of the CPSU (February 25 - March 6, 1986), made it possible to complete the work in a short time and launch Mir into orbit on February 20, 1986.
Mir station structure
However, on February 20, 1986, a completely different Mir station, which we knew, appeared in orbit. It was only the base unit, which was eventually joined by several other modules that turned the Mir into a huge orbital complex connecting residential blocks, scientific laboratories and technical facilities, including the module for docking the Russian station with the American space shuttles Shuttle ". At the end of the nineties, the Mir orbital station consisted of the following elements: the base unit, the modules Kvant-1 (scientific), Kvant-2 (household), Kristall (docking-technological), Spektr (scientific ), "Nature" (scientific), as well as a docking module for American shuttles.
It was planned that the assembly of the Mir station would be completed by 1990. But economic problems in the Soviet Union, and then the collapse of the state, prevented the implementation of these plans, and as a result, the last module was added only in 1996.
Purpose of the Mir orbital station
The Mir orbital station is, first of all, a scientific object that allows conducting unique experiments on it that are not available on Earth. These are both astrophysical research and the study of our planet itself, the processes taking place on it, in its atmosphere and near space. An important role at the Mir station was played by experiments related to human behavior under conditions of prolonged stay in weightlessness, as well as in the cramped conditions of a spacecraft. Here they studied the reaction of the human body and psyche to future flights to other planets, and indeed to life in space, the development of which is impossible without this kind of research.
And, of course, the Mir orbital station served as a symbol of the Russian presence in space, the national space program, and, over time, the friendship of cosmonauts from different countries.
Mir is the first international space station
The possibility of attracting cosmonauts from other, including non-Soviet countries, to work on the Mir orbital station was built into the concept of the project from the very beginning. However, these plans were realized only in the nineties, when the Russian space program experienced financial difficulties, and therefore it was decided to invite foreign states to work on the Mir station. But the first foreign cosmonaut got to the Mir station much earlier - in July 1987. They became the Syrian Mohammed Faris. Later, representatives from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Japan, Austria, Great Britain, Canada and Slovakia visited the facility. But most of the foreigners on the Mir orbital station were from the United States of America.
In the early 1990s, the United States did not have its own long-term orbital station, and therefore they decided to join the Russian Mir project. The first American to be there was Norman Thagard on March 16, 1995. This happened as part of the Mir-Shuttle program, but the flight itself was carried out on the domestic Soyuz TM-21 spacecraft.
Already in June 1995, five American astronauts flew to the Mir station at once. They got there on the shuttle Atlantis. In total, US representatives have appeared on this Russian space object fifty times (34 different astronauts).
Space records at Mir station
Orbital station "Mir" in itself is a champion. It was originally planned that it would last only five years and be replaced by the Mir-2 facility. But the reduction in funding led to the fact that her term of service stretched for fifteen years. And the time of uninterrupted stay of people on it is estimated at 3642 days - from September 5, 1989 to August 26, 1999, almost ten years (the ISS broke this achievement in 2010). During this time, the Mir station has become a witness and a "home" for many space records. More than 23 thousand scientific experiments were carried out there. Cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, being on board, spent 438 days continuously in space (from January 8, 1994 to March 22, 1995), which is still a record achievement in history. And a similar record for women was also set there - the American Shannon Lucid in 1996 stayed in outer space for 188 days (already beaten on the ISS).
Another unique event that took place aboard the Mir station was the first-ever space art exhibition on January 23, 1993. Within its framework, two works by Ukrainian artist Igor Podolyak were presented.
Decommissioning and descent to Earth
Breakdowns and technical problems at the Mir station were recorded from the very beginning of its commissioning. But at the end of the nineties, it became clear that its further functioning would be difficult - the object was morally and technically obsolete. Moreover, at the beginning of the decade, a decision was made to build the International Space Station, in which Russia also took part. And on November 20, 1998, the Russian Federation launched the first element of the ISS - the Zarya module. In January 2001, the final decision was made on the future flooding of the Mir orbital station, despite the fact that there were options for its possible rescue, including the purchase by Iran. However, on March 23, the Mir was sunk in the Pacific Ocean, in a place called the Spaceship Graveyard - it is there that obsolete objects are sent for eternal residence.
Residents of Australia that day, fearing "surprises" from the long-troubled station, jokingly posted on their land plots sights, hinting that this is where a Russian object could fall. However, the flooding passed without unforeseen circumstances - the Mir went under water approximately in the area where it should have been.
Heritage of the orbital station Mir
Mir became the first orbital station built on a modular basis, when many other elements necessary to perform certain functions can be attached to the base unit. This gave impetus to a new round of space exploration. And even with the future establishment of permanent bases on planets and satellites, long-term orbital modular stations will still be the basis for a human presence outside the Earth.
The modular principle worked out on the Mir orbital station is now used on the International Space Station. On this moment, it consists of fourteen elements.
The idea of creating an international space station arose in the early 1990s. The project became international when Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency joined the US. In December 1993, the United States, together with other countries participating in the creation of the Alpha space station, offered Russia to become a partner in this project. Russian government accepted the offer, after which some experts began to call the project "Ralpha", that is, "Russian Alpha", - recalls NASA public relations representative Ellen Kline.
Experts estimate that the construction of Alfa-R can be completed by 2002 and will cost about $17.5 billion. "It's very cheap," said NASA chief Daniel Goldin. - If we worked alone, the costs would be high. And so, thanks to cooperation with the Russians, we get not only political, but also material benefits ... "
It was finances, or rather their lack, that forced NASA to look for partners. The original project - it was called "Freedom" - was very grandiose. It was assumed that at the station it would be possible to repair satellites and entire spacecraft, study the functioning of the human body during a long stay in weightlessness, conduct astronomical research, and even establish production.
The Americans were also attracted by the unique methods, on which millions of rubles and years of work of Soviet scientists and engineers were put. Having worked in the same "team" with the Russians, they also received a fairly complete understanding of Russian methods, technologies, etc., related to long-term orbital stations. It's hard to estimate how many billions of dollars they're worth.
The Americans have made for the station a scientific laboratory, a residential module, docking blocks "Node-1" and "Node-2". The Russian side developed and delivered a functional cargo block, a universal docking module, transport supply ships, a service module and a Proton launch vehicle.
Most of the work was carried out by the Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Center. The central part of the station was a functional-cargo block, similar in size and main structural elements to the Kvant-2 and Kristall modules of the Mir station. Its diameter is 4 meters, length - 13 meters, weight - more than 19 tons. The block serves as a home for the astronauts during the initial period of the station's assembly, as well as for providing it with electricity from solar panels and storing fuel supplies for propulsion systems. The service module was created on the basis of the central part of the Mir-2 station developed in the 1980s. Astronauts live in it permanently and conduct experiments.
Members of the European Space Agency have developed the Columbus laboratory and an automatic transport vehicle for a launch vehicle
"Ariane-5", Canada delivered a mobile service system, Japan - an experimental module.
The assembly of the International Space Station required approximately 28 American Space Shuttle flights, 17 Russian launches, and one Ariana-5 launch. The crews and equipment were to be delivered to the station by 29 Russian Soyuz-TM and Progress spacecraft.
The total internal volume of the station after its assembly in orbit was 1217 square meters, weight - 377 tons, of which 140 tons are Russian components, 37 tons are American. The estimated operating time of the international station is 15 years.
Due to the financial woes that plagued the Russian Aerospace Agency, the construction of the ISS got off schedule by as much as two years. But finally, on July 20, 1998, from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Proton launch vehicle launched the Zarya functional unit, the first element of the international space station, into orbit. And on July 26, 2000, our Zvezda connected with the ISS.
This day went down in the history of its creation as one of the most important. At the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston and at the Russian Mission Control Center in the city of Korolev, the hands on the clocks show different times, but the ovation burst out at them at the same time.
Until that time, the ISS was a set of lifeless building blocks, Zvezda breathed a “soul” into it: a scientific laboratory suitable for life and long-term fruitful work appeared in orbit. This is a fundamentally new stage of a grandiose international experiment, in which 16 countries participate.
"Now the gates are open to continue construction of the International Space Station," said NASA spokesman Kyle Herring with satisfaction. At the moment, the ISS consists of three elements - the Zvezda service module and the Zarya functional cargo block, created by Russia, as well as the Unity docking port, built by the United States. With the docking of the new module, the station not only grew noticeably, but also became heavier, as far as possible in zero gravity, gaining a total of about 60 tons.
After that, a kind of rod was assembled in near-Earth orbit, on which more and more new structural elements could be “strung”. "Star" is the cornerstone of the entire future space structure, comparable in size to a city block. Scientists claim that a fully assembled station in terms of brightness will be the third object in the starry sky - after the Moon and Venus. It can be observed even with the naked eye.
The $340 million Russian bloc is the key element that ensures the transition from quantity to quality. "Star" is the "brain" of the ISS. The Russian module is not only the place of residence of the first crews of the station. Zvezda carries a powerful central on-board computer and communications equipment, a life support system and a propulsion system that will provide the ISS orientation and orbit altitude. Henceforth, all crews arriving on the Shuttle during work on board the station will no longer rely on the systems of the American spacecraft, but on the life support of the ISS itself. And the Star guarantees it.
“The docking of the Russian module and the station took place approximately at an altitude of 370 kilometers above the surface of the planet,” Vladimir Rogachev writes in the Echo of the Planet magazine. - At this moment, the spacecraft raced at a speed of about 27 thousand kilometers per hour. The operation has earned the highest marks of experts, once again confirming the reliability of Russian technology and the highest professionalism of its creators. As Sergei Kulik, a representative of Rosaviakosmos, who is in Houston, emphasized in a telephone conversation with me, both American and Russian specialists were well aware that they were witnessing a historic event. My interlocutor also noted that specialists from the European Space Agency, who created the Zvezda central on-board computer, also made an important contribution to ensuring docking.
Then Sergey Krikalev picked up the phone. As part of the first long-stay crew starting from Baikonur at the end of October, he will have to settle in the ISS. Sergei noted that everyone in Houston was waiting for the moment of contact with the spacecraft with great tension. Moreover, after the automatic docking mode was turned on, very little could be done “from the side”. The accomplished event, the cosmonaut explained, opens the prospect for the deployment of work on the ISS and the continuation of the manned flight program. In essence, this is “..the continuation of the Soyuz-Apollo program, the 25th anniversary of the completion of which is celebrated these days. The Russians have already flown on the Shuttle, the Americans on the Mir, and now a new stage is beginning.”
Maria Ivatsevich, representing the Research and Production Space Center named after M.V. Khrunicheva, especially noted that the docking, which was completed without any failures and remarks, "became the most serious, key stage of the program."
The result was summed up by the commander of the first planned long-term expedition to the ISS, American William Sheppard. “Obviously, the torch of competition has now passed from Russia to the US and other partners of the international project,” he said. “We are ready to take on this load, realizing that it is up to us to maintain the station’s construction schedule.”
In March 2001, the ISS was nearly hit by space debris. It is noteworthy that it could be rammed by a part from the station itself, which was lost during a spacewalk by astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms. As a result of the maneuver, the ISS managed to avoid the collision.
For the ISS, this was not the first threat posed by debris flying in outer space. In June 1999, when the station was still uninhabited, there was a threat of its collision with a fragment of the upper stage of a space rocket. Then the specialists of the Russian Mission Control Center, in the city of Korolev, managed to give the command to maneuver. As a result, the fragment flew past at a distance of 6.5 kilometers, which is minuscule by space standards.
Now the American Mission Control Center in Houston has demonstrated its ability to act in a critical situation. After receiving information from the Space Tracking Center about the movement of space debris in orbit in the immediate vicinity of the ISS, Houston specialists immediately gave the command to turn on the engines of the Discovery spacecraft docked to the ISS. As a result, the orbit of the stations was raised by four kilometers.
If it had not been possible to perform the maneuver, then the flying part could, in the event of a collision, damage, first of all, solar panels stations. The body of the ISS cannot penetrate such a fragment: each of its modules is reliably covered by anti-meteorite protection.
