International Space Station

The International Space Station, or ISS, is a permanently crewed, on-orbit laboratory that enables scientific research supporting innovation on Earth and future deep space exploration.

Laboratory, Proving Ground, Home

Six people from different nations around the world live on the International Space Station for several months at a time. They have all the specialized equipment of an advanced laboratory, operate and maintain experimental equipment, plus computers and internet to talk to their families on Earth. They even eat dinner together and have weekends off.

RESUME

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION:

A LAB LIKE NO OTHER

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Milestones

International Space Station Technical Specifications

Length (pressurized section)	167 ft (51 m)	Operating Altitude	220 nmi (407 km) average
Total Length	192 ft (58.5 m)	Inclination	51.6 degrees to the Equator
Total Height	100 ft (30.5 m)	Atmosphere Inside	14.7 psi (101.36 kilopascals)
Solar Array Wingspan	239 ft (72.8 m)	Pressurized Volume	34,700 cu ft (habitable volume of 14,400 cu ft)
Integrated Truss Length	357 ft (109 m)	Computers to Control Station	52
Mass (Weight)	919,964 lbs	Power Generation	84 kw to 120 kw (usable power)

International Space Station Gallery

Feature Stories

In the DNA

August 22, 2017 in Space, Technology

United Arab Emirates student’s experiment launches to the International Space Station.

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Genes in Space: 17-Year-Old Winner’s Experiment Sent to ISS

April 13, 2016 in Space

17-year-old Anna-Sophia Boguraev won the inaugural Genes in Space competition in 2015.

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Celebration and Reconfiguration Aboard the International Space Station

November 2, 2015 in Space

A tower astronauts will use to board Boeing's Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner is rising in the Florida skyline.

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The 220-Mile-High Lab

July 2, 2015 in Innovation, Space

Rotating 220 miles (354 km) above Earth is the International Space Station, where Boeing provides a safe environment for more than 200 experiments.

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A Step Closer to Deep Space

January 15, 2015 in Innovation, Space

The 15-year milestone marks the halfway point for the projected 30-year International Space Station program.

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CST-100: Next American space capsule

September 16, 2014 in Space

NASA awards Boeing $4.2 billion to build and fly the United States’ next passenger spacecraft, the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100.

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Last shuttle commander virtually flies Boeing CST-100

February 27, 2014 in Space, Technology

Chris Ferguson, commander of the final space shuttle flight, virtually returns to space in the Boeing Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 simulator.

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Happy Anniversary ISS

November 20, 2013 in Space

The 15-year milestone marks the halfway point for the projected 30-year International Space Station program.

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The Nations of the International Space Station

NASA selected Boeing as prime contractor for the International Space Station on Aug. 17, 1993, and the original cost-plus-award-fee contract began on Jan. 13, 1995. Boeing is responsible for maintaining the station at peak performance levels so the full value of the unique research laboratory is available to NASA, its international partners, other U.S. government agencies and private companies.