An international space station assembled in low earth orbit with more contribution from America and Russia, with assistance and components from a multinational agreement, is heading toward a new climax.
Building of ISS
Initially, the building of the international space station started with the efforts of America in 1980. It has faced a lot of issues like funding problems and technical problems. In the beginning, this project was named Freedom in 1980, by US president Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan authorized Nasa to build this international space station within 10 years. To reduce cost and expand it internationally it was redesigned and renamed in 1990. Russia and the United states merged their separately handled space stations into a single entity. They also integrated their modules in collaboration with European space agencies and japan.
Russian involvement
The Russian control module in Zarya on November 20, 1998, and built Unity, were used to assemble the international space station. Zvezda, a Russian-built module, a habitat control center, was added in mid-2000. This year the international space station received its first resident crew. Thus the resident crew was composed of Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts; this crew flew into space in the Soyuz spacecraft. This international space station has been continuously occupied since 2000. Progress was made before the breakup of space shuttle orbiter Columbia in February 2003, the shuttle fleet was grounded which halted the further expansion of the station. The crew s flew up and returned from an international space station in a Soyuz spacecraft. The space was serviced with automated progress ferries.
The shuttles were retired after the completion of the international space station in 2011. Afterward, the international space station has been serviced with help of Russian progress, Europe’s ATV, Japan’s H2 transfer vehicle, and commercially used vehicles.
Iss after 4 decades
In recent times, the space x crew dragon made their first flight to international space stations in 2020 by America. The Boeing company’s CST 100 was scheduled to have its first flight in ISS in 2022. Before the crew dragon, the Soyuz spacecraft was used for flight towards the international space station. Despite this, a Russian science module, Nauka, was added to the station in 2021.More than 200 astronauts representing different nationalities have visited the international space station. Normally astronauts stay on an international space station for six months. After the end of the journey of one crew, commands and tasks are transferred to the next crew.
Russian withdrawal from iss
But the current political crisis in the world has not only affected the world but also disturbed the environment of international space. Russia’s attack on Ukraine has also affected the terms and conditions in the international space station. Russia has announced it will isolate itself from cooperation with the international space station in 2024. The Russian space agency, Roscomos, has been feeling doubts about the partnerships for the year. So, they decided to leave the station.
