Infrastructure
Human Activities in Space
Infrastructure: Human Spaceflight
Since Yuri Gagarin’s orbital flight around the Earth in April 1961, humans in pioneering new technologies and pushing the limits of what’s considered possible. This year ushered in a new era of human spaceflight when SpaceX became the first . . .
Economy Insights: Commercial Activity on the International Space Station
This year marks the 20th anniversary of human habitation on the International Space Station (ISS). That sustained success means NASA and the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, which share American resources on the orbiting facility, have transitioned from merely supporting life in space to . . .
Space Stations
While the International Space Station remained the cornerstone for human activities in space during 2017, companies such as…
2017 – China Space Station – Snapshot
During 2016, China launched its latest space station, Tiangong-2. Chinese taikonauts lived aboard the new space station for 30 days before returning to…
2017 – Bigelow Space Station – Snapshot
The privately owned Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), launched in 2016, remained attached to the ISS in 2017. NASA originally contracted Bigelow Aerospace to test…
2017 – ISS – Snapshot
The International Space Station (ISS) continued to be an active inhabited space laboratory during 2017. International teams of engineers, researchers, and scientists…
Space Station Satellite Deployment Log
The ISS and other space stations occasionally deploy small satellites from various launchers, or even by hand. This log monitors the number and type of small satellite deployed from the space stations each year.
2016 – Bigelow Space Stations – Snapshot
In April 2016, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was launched and attached to the International Space Station (ISS). During transport, the module was…
2016 – China Space Stations – Snapshot
China launched a new space station laboratory in the middle of September 2016, making China the only nation to have two space stations in orbit, although one appears to no longer be…
2016 – International Space Station – Snapshot
During 2016, the International Space Station (ISS) continued to be the primary inhabited space laboratory orbiting the Earth. An international contingent of scientists, engineers, and researchers used the ISS for various microgravity-based experiments.
One ISS program, NASA’s human research One-Year Mission, required astronaut…