The International Space Station (ISS)

Tala Momin
Sep 4
4 min read

Education for All

By: Toleen Edrees

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Introduction

The plan for a permanent orbital station had come along sooner or later. And in fact it goes back at least as far as the Cold War. President Ronald Reagan was promoting a U.S. space station by 1984 in his quest for a “permanent manned presence in space.” What finally emerged in the 1990s was something far larger in scope even in a single nation’s ambition. The ISS was an international effort: NASA (America), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada) were all involved.

The first piece of what would eventually become the station, the Russian Zarya module, had been launched in November 1998. Later in 1998 arrived shipment aboard a Space Shuttle of the American Unity module. Astronauts over the ensuing decade pulled the station together in assemblies, including laboratories donated by the United States (Destiny), Europe (Columbus), and Japan (Kibō). Even modules like Cupola, with its large windows for observing, contributed not only function but form.

Living Onboard: A Floating Laboratory

Since November 2, 2000, there has been constant human presence on the ISS. Its residents number over 250 individuals representing over 20 nations.

Orbit life is half science experiment, half endurance test. Astronauts' days are spent floating instead of walking, their nights spent buckled into sleeping bags, their hours spent daily exercising in an effort to slow bone and muscle loss. There are no showers; only wipes and waterless shampoo to wash up astronauts. Even drinking water is recycled urine and sweat --so clean it ends up tasting better than tap, astronauts quip.

Once early survival necessities were satisfied, the ISS was a research station for phenomena not possible anywhere else in microgravity. Scientists studied what fires are like in a weightless state, what happens in human hearts in orbiting space, what plants grow like in outer space, even 3D printers for in-demand construction tools. These are not only tomorrow's Mars mission takeaways but today's for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease patients on Earth.

Most significantly, perhaps, the ISS has put our planet into perspective. From the Cupola, cosmonauts take photos of hurricanes, thunderstorm lightning, and luminous auroras while depicting Earth as vulnerable, vibrant, and awe-inspectingly beautiful.

The Cost and Cracks

As great as it is, no one built the ISS to last forever. Its modules are subjected to extreme heating up and cooling down every 90 minutes as it circumnavigates, not to even mention damage caused by micrometeoroids as well as wear and tear caused by constant use. Most parts by 2030 are over 30 years old.

Then there is expense. Keeping the station in operation is a $3–4 billion annual expense. Even if the science is not replaceable, newer technology and private enterprise are now capable of building more efficient stations at less expense.

The answer is a simple one: the ISS can't orbit for ever.

A Blazing Farewell

When it's finished, no one is just going to abandon the ISS. A 400-ton station hurtling out of control towards Earth would be hazardous. Instead, around 2030, the ISS will intentionally be guided into a specially managed re-entry. Most of it will burn up in the atmosphere, and the largest chunks will land in the remote South Pacific, in an area known as the “spacecraft graveyard.”

SpaceX itself even signed a contract for designing the vehicle on which it shall land safely. When it does finally come to pass, the ISS shall streak across the heavens in a plume of flames — a brilliant, sad farewell to one of man’s proudest achievements.

What Comes Next

ISS ending is not an end to space stations; rather, it is an onset towards a new beginning.

Commercial space stations: Private companies such as Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman are building private platforms. These are going to accommodate scientists, businesses, even tourists, making access to orbit easier than ever before.
China’s Tiangong Station: Already operating in full swing, it is a growing force in human spaceflight.
NASA's Lunar Gateway: Instead of orbiting Earth like the ISS, this station will orbit around the Moon as a stepping-off point for lunar missions and ultimately Mars missions.

There is some uncertainty, though. When the ISS is retired ahead of those newer stations coming online, humans would face their first era without constant presence in space since 2000.

A Legacy Beyond Technology

The ISS is not just a machinery made up of steel, cables, and solar panels. It is an emblem of worldwide cooperation. Political pressures back on Earth are no deterrent for cosmonauts and astronauts since they share their meals, their researches, even music in orbit. The station is proof that if nations put aside competition, they can make something spectacular.

When its mission is complete, the ISS will not only leave behind more than scientific knowledge, but an emotional footprint. It has shown us Earth at a distance, defenceless and borderless, a reminder that exploration into space is not alienation — it is wholeness.

Shining dot moving across night sky is something greater than a machine. It is our first actual home away from Earth — a promise for what is yet to come.

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