The International Space Station

The International Space Station is a large spacecraft that orbits around Earth. It is a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory.

Several nations worked together to build the space station. It is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts. It orbits Earth at an average altitude of approximately 250 miles. It travels at 17,500 mph. This means it orbits Earth every 90 minutes. NASA uses the space station to learn about living and working in space. These lessons will make it possible to send humans farther into space than ever before.