Space Stations

Was a space station first and next step towards researching the vast unknown world of outer space. What will be learned by this station?

The most incredible thing is just how much of what was sci-fi fantasy back then has become a reality. The space station is a real spacecraft that we have!!

A space station is a synthetic structure built for humans to live in space. The concept of a space station was introduced by Edward Everett in 1869 when he described the brick moon as a satellite used to steer ships in the ocean.

Fifty years ago, on April 19, 1971, the world's first space station, Salyut 1, was launched.

Introduction Salyut 1

After the success of the American Apollo missions, the Salyut 1 space station program was born out of the soviet desire to promote space exploration. Then the US space station Skylab was launched (2 years after SALYUT 1.

Launched atop a proton booster rocket, Salyut 1 is a 20-meter (66-foot) spacecraft with several sections, three of which are pressurized and two for astronauts. The space station consists of a transition compartment with a docking system to allow the transfer of the crew inside, the main compartment is approximately 4 meters long with control stations, 20 windows, and colored areas to facilitate navigation. Oriented in weightlessness and the Orion 1 space observatory performs ultraviolet spectroscopy of the stars.

After the unsuccessful launch and landing of the Soyuz 10 spacecraft, the Soyuz 11 mission in June 1971 sent cosmonauts Georgy Dobrowolski, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor pats anyone to spend time testing the maneuverability of the spacecraft. Station, study earth's surface geology, meteorology, and ice cover, and see the atmosphere and outer space. The three astronauts successfully docked and spent 23 days (about 3.5 weeks) on Salyut 1, but all three tragically perished due to the loss of cabin atmosphere on their return to earth due to the incident.

The Salyut 1 design formed the basis for all soviet space stations until Salyut 7, which was tasked with conducting tests in preparation for the larger mir station launched in 1986.

Salyut 1 set the precedent for the space station and contributed to the history of human space exploration that continues to this day with the international space station (ISS), an international partnership program launched in 2000.

Rise of ISS (International Space Station)

Flying about 240 miles above the surface of the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles (about 28163.52 km) per hour, the international space station (ISS) is a scientific laboratory designed to help humans learn about life in space.

The international space station was created during the cold war. During this time, NASA planned the launch of an exemplary space station called freedom, a copy of the soviet Salyut and mir space stations. Meanwhile, the soviets were planning to build another space station called mir-2. However, financial and design obstacles prevented space station freedom from progressing beyond models and subtests.

In the mid-1980s, President Ronald Reagan told NASA that he would build the international space station within a decade, saying that doing so would allow for a "leapfrog" in scientific research. First, the United States entered partnerships with Europe and Japan.

As of May 2022, 258 people from 20 countries (opens in new tab) have visited the international space station. Top participating countries include the United States (158) and Russia (54). Astronaut time and research time on the space station are distributed to space agencies based on the funding and resources they provide (such as modules and robotics).

The ISS includes contributions from fifteen nations. NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), and the European space agency are the major space station partners and provide most of the funding. Other partners are the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Sometimes, private astronauts will begin work on the orbiting complex through a private company called axiom space. In addition, astronauts from other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, may fly to the ISS.

Current plans call for the station to operate until at least 2024, with partners discussing extensions. NASA has approved an extension to 2030, but Russia says it will pull out after 2024 to focus on building a space station around 2028. After 2030, plans for the international space station are not laid out either. It might be deorbited, or recycled for destiny business area stations in orbit.

Significance of ISS

Everything on earth has evolved to thrive in its native environment rather than in the alien environment of outer space, which can challenge life forms in surprising ways. It is the perfect place to practice living and working in context and gain a better understanding of how the universe affects our complex biology.

Most importantly, surviving in space means dealing with microgravity (almost no gravity) and increased exposure to radiation. Living in orbit also means enduring tight, contained environments, limited human contact, and high-pressure situations that require quick teamwork to survive. The crew must adapt to the sun rising and setting up to 16 times a day. To get a good night's sleep, you need to crouch down on a non-floating object.

More radiation exposure means a higher risk of developing distinct types of cancer. The ground team is designing spacesuits to protect long-term space travelers from potentially destructive space particles.

The crew is also busy with scientific experiments designed to help us understand how humans could live forever in space. Observing how they react to their environment, studying how space affects DNA and gene expression, and understanding whether normal reproduction is possible. It has come out).

End-of-life planning

Whatever happens in the next few years, the ISS is nearing the end of its life. NASA plans to slowly lower the station's orbit by 2030 before crashing into a no man's land zone in the south pacific in 2031. But as the saying goes, "when you reach the end of what you have to know, you reach the beginning of what you have to feel."