The International Space Station is the first step towards breaking the barriers of interplanetary travel. Its development broke political and technological barriers, as it became a model for international cooperation showing what nations can accomplish for humankind when they work together. Our world has been enriched by the discoveries made on the space station through its experiments, inventions, and the vision of a bigger world to come. The future of the space station continues to rapidly evolve as it navigates private enterprise and governmental agencies. What scientists have learned through the ISS efforts, propels humankind forward toward returning to the moon and onward to Mars. We don’t know what the future in space will bring, but our world has been expanded through the barrier-breaking International Space Station.
ISS captures the whole station, and can be seen from the surface of the Earth on a clear night.
Photo Credit: NASA
Illustration of the SpaceX Dragon XL as it is deployed from the Falcon Heavy's second stage in high Earth orbit on its way to the Gateway in lunar orbit.
Credits: SpaceX
"Cultural differences are based in the assumptions we all make about other cultures. What I learned is that our assumptions are usually too negative and virtually always wrong...I learned to speak Russian and the cosmonauts learned to speak English. This took a huge amount of effort on both sides, and this shared sense of effort helped bond us together...we learned to communicate very effectively with Mission Control and with our multinational crewmates"
~ interview with Stephen Robinson, NASA astronaut
Astronaut Stephen Robinson plays guitar in the newly installed ISS Cupola window.
Photo Credit: NASA
Header: International Space Station over ocean. Photo Credit: NASA