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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

International Space Station

International Space Station

Post under at 10:18:00 PM Posted by Shobhit S
The International Space Station (ISS) is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015.

                       The station can be seen from the Earth with the naked eye, and, as of 2009, is the largest artificial satellite in Earth orbit, with a mass larger than that of any previous space station.  The ISS and its experiments are operated by long-duration Expedition crews, with the station being continuously staffed since the first resident crew, Expedition 1, arrived on 2 November 2000. This has provided an uninterrupted human presence in space for the last &0000000000000009.0000009 years and &0000000000000043.00000043 days. As of 1 December 2009 (2009 -12-01), the crew of Expedition 22 is aboard.

 
International Space Station
A planform view of the ISS backdropped by the limb of the Earth. In view are the station's four large, golden-coloured solar array wings, two on either side of the station, mounted to a central truss structure. Further along the truss are six large, white radiators, three next to each pair of arrays. In-between the solar arrays and radiators is a cluster of pressurised modules, arranged in an elongated T shape, also attached to the truss. A set of blue solar arrays are mounted to the module at the aft end of the cluster.
The flags of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Norway, and Russia.
The International Space Station on 25 November 2009 as seen from the departing Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-129.
A silhouette of the ISS shown orbiting the Earth, contained within a blue shield with the words 'International Space Station' at the top.
ISS Insignia
Station statistics
NSSDC ID: 1998-067A
Call sign: Alpha
Crew: 6
Launch: 1998–2011
Launch pad: KSC LC-39,
Baikonur LC-1/5 & LC-81/23
Mass: 344,378 kg
(759,222 lb)
Length: 73 m (240 ft)
from PMA-2 to Zvezda
Width: 108.5 m (356 ft)
along truss, arrays extended
Height: c.20 m (c.66 ft)
nadir–zenith, arrays forward–aft
Living volume: c.373 m³
(c.13,172 ft³)
Atmospheric pressure:
101.3 kPa (29.91 inHg)
Perigee: 336 km altitude (181 nmi)
Apogee: 346 km altitude (189 nmi)
Orbit inclination: 51.6419 degrees
Average speed: 27,743.8 km/h
(17,239.2 mph, 7,706.6 m/s)
Orbital period: c.91 minutes
Days in orbit: 4043
(15 December 2009)
Days occupied: 3332
(15 December 2009)
Number of orbits: c.63807
(15 December 2009)
Orbital decay: 2 km/month
Statistics as of 27 November 2009
(unless noted otherwise)
References:
Configuration
The components of the ISS in an exploded diagram, with modules on-orbit highlighted in orange, and those still awaiting launch in blue or pink.
Station elements as of 25 November 2009 (2009 -11-25). 


 The station represents a union of several space station projects including the American Space Station Freedom, the Soviet/Russian Mir-2, the European Columbus and the Japanese Kibō.

 The ISS is operated as a joint project between the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the European Space Agency (ESA)
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