NASA International Space Station

Since its inception in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has conducted space explorations and planetary missions benefiting people around the world through the expansion of our civilization's horizons, the acquisition of knowledge and the development of new technologies and applications that have provided amazing advances in the quality of human life. As the United Kingdom's own Tim Peake plans to embark on a historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015, it is timely to discuss how scientists from all over the world utilize the ISS facilities. Starting with a brief review of previous space stations, this lecture provides an overview of how the ISS was built and supported, how it works, what it does and how the crew lives.