NASA celebrates 25 years of operating the International Space Station
The United States space agency, NASA, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the start of operations at the International Space Station.
NASA‘s Deputy Executive Bob Cabana and International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano spent about half an hour on the phone with astronauts currently stationed at the International Space Station, including seven men and women from the United States, Denmark, Japan, and Russia.
Exactly 25 years ago, the first two units, “Unity” and “Zarya,” were connected. The Russian unit “Zarya” was launched into space about three weeks ago, and Cabana was the first American to enter the International Space Station.
Since then, the human outpost has orbited the Earth 16 times a day at an altitude of about 400 kilometers.
The International Space Station is a joint project between space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan, Europe, and the United States, launched as an international project after the end of the Cold War.
After the connection of the two units, the station has steadily grown and is now the size of a football field with 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a gym, and a panoramic window.
Travelers have been conducting research in this space laboratory continuously since 2000. Matthias Maurer was the last German to be there from 2021 to 2022. The total costs have long exceeded $100 billion.
Despite maintenance, renovation, and updates, the technology of the International Space Station is no longer state-of-the-art. There are ongoing reports of damages, errors, leaks, and other issues. Additionally, the current global political situation does not make operating the International Space Station easier.
There is widespread consensus that it is still possible to operate the International Space Station jointly until the end of the decade. After that, it can be allowed to crash into the Pacific Ocean in a controlled manner.
