Page 10 - Engineering the International Space Station - Building by Design

AN INTERNATIONAL
ENGINEERING EFFORT

The ISS is a complex feat of engineering. It is the

largest structure ever built in space. Most of the ISS is

made up of bus-sized modules. The station is 357 feet

(109 m) across. It is 290 feet (88 m) long. It weighs

925,000 pounds (420,000 kg). The station can house six

or more people. It orbits Earth every 90 minutes.

The ISS is an orbiting science laboratory. Orbiting

objects are in a continuous free fall. This condition is

called microgravity. Microgravity allows ISS astronauts

to conduct unique experiments. They observe how

microgravity affects the human body. They test how

it impacts plants and animals too. Their discoveries

improve medical treatments and lead to new

technologies. Researchers are also learning about the

universe. In the future, astronauts will venture farther

into space. These journeys will be made possible by the

work done at the ISS.

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