What does an international space station look like. How the International Space Station is arranged. And this is not the limit

(ISS) is a joint international projectwhich participates 14 countries, including: USA, Russia, Canada, Japan, as well as several European countries speaking under the auspices of the European Space Agency. Its design began in 1984, with the order of the US President Ronald Reagan, the targeted NASA for 10 years to develop and build a new orbital space station. By the beginning of the 90s, it became clear that the scale and high cost of the project would not allow the United States to create it independently. The actual construction of the station began in 1998, when Russia connected against the project, brought into orbit the first element of the ISS is a functional-cargo block "Zarya".

Since then, other countries have joined the project at different times, building and adding their own modules to the ISS design. As a result, the ISS "spread" to 460 tons and covers the area of \u200b\u200bthe football field. Today we will talk about 10 interesting facts About the ISS, which you may not know about.

There is such a thing as gravity. The international space station is approximately 400-450 kilometers above the ground surface, where the force of gravity is only 10 percent below that we experience on our planet. This is enough for the station to fall to the ground. So why doesn't she fall?

The ISS actually falls. However, due to the fact that the rate of falling the station is almost equal to the speed with which it moves around the Earth, it falls along a circular orbit. In other words, thanks to the centrifugal strength, it falls not down, and Block, that is, around the earth. The same happens with our natural companion, Moon. She also falls around the earth. The centrifugal force arising when the moon is moving around the Earth compensates for the power of gravity between the Earth and the Moon.

The permanent fall of the ISS actually explains why the crew on board is in weightlessness, despite the fact that gravity inside the station is present. Since the rate of falling the ISS is compensated by the speed of its rotation around the Earth, astronauts, being inside the station, actually do not move anywhere. They just hover. Nevertheless, MCS from time to time still decreases, approaching the Earth. To compensate, the station control center conducts the adjustment to its orbit, briefly launch engines and withdrawing to the previous height.

On the ISS, the sun rises every 90 minutes.

The International Space Station makes one full turn around the Earth every 90 minutes. Thanks to this, its crew is watching the sunrise every 90 minutes. Domestic people on board the ISS see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets. Cosmonauts, which are carried out at the station 342 days, have time to see 5472 sunrises and 5472 sunsets. During the same time, a person who is on Earth will see only 342 sunrise and 342 sunset.

What is interesting, the plant crew does not see any dawn, nor twilight. However, they can clearly see the terminator - a line separating those parts of the Earth, where at the moment different times of the day. On the ground, people who are located along this line are watching the dawn or twilight.

At the first Malaysian astronaut on board the ISS there were problems with prayer

The first Malaysian astronaut became Sheikh Muzafar Shukor. On October 10, 2007, he went to the nine-day flight to the ISS. However, before his flight, he and his country were encountered with an unusual problem. Shukor - Muslim. This means that he needs to pray 5 times a day, as it requires Islam. In addition, it came out that the flight was held during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims must fast.

Remember, we talked about the fact that the ISS astronauts meet sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes? It turned out to be a big problem for a shockura, because in this case it would be difficult to determine the time of prayer - in Islam it is determined by the location of the Sun in the sky. In addition, with the prayer of Muslims should turn toward Kaaba in Mecca. On the ISS, the direction to Kaaba and Mecca will change every second. Thus, during the prayer, Shukor could be first in the direction of Kaaba, and then parallel to her.

The Malaysian Space Agency Angkasa gathered 150 Islamic clergymen and scientists in order to find a solution to this problem. As a result, the assembly came to the conclusion that the shock should begin his prayer turning towards the Kaaba, and then ignore any changes. If it is not possible to determine the position of Kaaba, he can not look at any side, where she, in his opinion, may be. If it will cause difficulties, he may simply turn towards the Earth and do everything that he considers it necessary.

In addition, scientists and clergymen agreed that there is no need to shocked her knees during prayer, if it is difficult to do in weightlessness on board the ISS. It is also no need to carry out water. He was allowed to just wipe their body with a wet towel. He was also allowed to reduce the number of prayers - from five to three. Also decided that the shock was not needed to fast, because in Islam travelers freed from the post.

Earth policy

As mentioned earlier, the International Space Station does not belong to some single nation. It belongs to the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and a number of European countries. Each of these countries or groups of countries, if we are talking about the European Space Agency, owns certain parts of the ISS along with the modules that they sent there.

The ISS itself is divided into two main segments: American and Russian. The right to use the Russian segment belongs exclusively to Russia. Americans allow us to use our segment to other countries. Most countries involved in the development of the ISS, in particular the United States and Russia transferred their earthly policies into space.

The result of this was most unpleasant in 2014, after the United States imposed sanctions against Russia and broke up relations with several Russian enterprises. One of these enterprises was Roscosmos - the Russian equivalent of NASA. However, there was a big problem.

Since NASA has closed the program of space shuttles, it has to fully rely on Roscosmos on the delivery and return of their astronauts from the ISS. If Roscosmos comes out of this agreement and refuses to deliver and return American astronauts from the ISS, the NASA will be in a very difficult position with the help of its missiles and spacecraft. Immediately after NASA ripped the relationship with Roskosmos, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia Dmitry Rogozin wrote in Twitter that the United States can now send their astronauts to the ISS using trampolines.

On the ISS there is no laundry

On board the International Space Station there is no washing machine. But even if she were, the crew still has no excess water that can be used for washing. One of the solutions to the problem is to take with you enough clothing so that it is enough for the whole flight. But such a luxury is not always.

Delivery to the ISS cargo weighing 450 grams costs 5-10 thousand dollars, and no one wants to spend so much money for the delivery of ordinary clothes. The crew returning to the Earth can also take the old clothes with you - there is little space in the spacecraft. Decision? Burn everything dottle.

It should be understood that the crew of the ISS does not need a daily change of clothes, as we are on earth. If you do not take into account physical exercises (about which we will talk below), the astronauts on the ISS do not have to strain much in terms of microgravity. The body temperature on the ISS is also controlled. All this allows people to wear the same clothing to four days before they decide to change it.

Russia, from time to time, launches unmanned spacecraft to deliver new supplies to the ISS. These ships can fly only in one direction and cannot return to the ground (at least integer). As soon as they dock to the ISS, the station crew unloads delivered supplies, and then fills empty spacecraft Various garbage, waste and dirty clothing. The apparatus is then rejected and falls to the ground. The ship itself and everything that is on board burns in the sky over the Pacific Ocean.

The crew of the ISS is doing a lot

The crew of the International Space Station almost constantly loses bone and muscle mass. For months, spending time in space, they lose about two percent of mineral reserves in the bones of the limbs. It sounds not very much, but this figure is growing rapidly. The usual mission on the ISS can occupy up to 6 months. As a result, some crew members can lose up to 1/4 of the bone mass in some parts of their skeleton.

Space agencies are trying to find a way to reduce these losses, forcing the crew to carry out daily two-hour physical exercises. Despite this, astronauts still lose muscle and bone mass. Since almost every cosmonaut is trained, which is regularly sent to the ISS, the space agencies have no control groups with which it would be possible to determine the effectiveness of such training.

The simulators on the orbital station also differ from those that we used to use on Earth. The difference in gravity dictates the need to use only special simulators for exercise.

Using the toilet depends on the nationality of the crew

At the first time of the existence of the International Space Station, astronauts and astronauts were used and shared by the same equipment, equipment, food and even toilets. All began to change in about 2003, after Russia began to demand from other countries to pay for the fact that their astronauts enjoy their equipment. In turn, other countries began to demand payment from Russia for ensuring that its cosmonauts enjoy their equipment.

The situation was glowing in 2005, when Russia began to take money from NASA for the delivery of American astronauts to the ISS. The US instead forbade the Russian astronaut to use American equipment, equipment and toilets.

Russia can cover the ISS program

Russia has no opportunity to directly prohibit the United States or any other country that ordered in the creation of the ISS, the use of the station. However, it may indirectly overlap access to the station. As mentioned above, Russia needs America in order to deliver her astronauts to the ISS. In 2014, Dmitry Rogozin hinted that, since 2020, Russia plans to spend money and resources allocated to the space program to other projects. The United States, in turn, want to continue to send their astronauts to the ISS at least until 2024.

If Russia is reduced or even stops using the ISS by 2020, it will become a serious problem for American astronauts, since they will be limited or even closed access to the ISS. Rogozin added that Russia could and without the United States fly to the ISS, the United States in turn does not have such a luxury.

The American Aerospace Agency NASA is actively working with commercial space companies on transportation and return American astronauts from the ISS. At the same time, NASA can always take advantage of trampoline, which Rogozin mentioned earlier.

On board the ISS there is a weapon

Usually, one or two pistols are present aboard the international space station. They belong to astronauts, but are stored in the "survival set", access to which everyone has access to the station. Each gun has three barrels and is capable of shooting signal rockets, rifle cartridges, as well as cartridges for a shotgun. They are also equipped with folding elements that can be used as a shovel or knife.

It is not clear why cosmonauts to keep such multifunctional pistols on board the ISS. Not from aliens chopped back in fact? However, it is known for certain that in 1965 some cosmonauts had to face aggressive wild bears, who decided to try people who returned from space to the land of taste. It is possible that weapons at the station are just for such cases.

Chinese Taikavanavtam closed access to the ISS

Chinese Taikavany is prohibited to attend the international space station due to the US sanctions imposed on China. In 2011, the American Congress banned any cooperation on space programs between the United States and China.

The ban was caused by the concerns that the Chinese Space Program is in short to militaristic purposes. The United States, in turn, does not want to help the Chinese military and engineers in any way, so the ISS for China is under the ban.

According to Time Edition, this is a very unreasonable solution to the issue. The American government needs to understand that the ban on the use of ISS China, as well as a ban on any cooperation between the United States and China on the development of space programs, will not stop the latter from the development of their own space program. China has already sent his TiccavanTs into space, as well as robots on the moon. In addition, the Middle Kingdom plans to build a new space station, as well as send its rover to Mars.

Ex-president of the United States Ronald Reagan in 1984 decided to create a living location at an near-earth orbit.

But since the project for one country was too expensive and time consuming, he suggested joining 14 states, including Japan, Brazil and Canada. So the International Space Station appeared. The USSR due to the confrontation with the United States was not initially a member of this project, so our country has entered cooperation only in 1993 (after decay Soviet Union).

How is the international space station inside?

TV viewers from news are familiar with such a phrase as "compartment of the International Space Station." The fact is that it has a modular structure, that is, the assembly occurs consistently by adding another block. At the moment, the ship consists of 14 blocks, 5 of them Russian ("Star", Pierce, "Search", "Dawn" and "Zarya"). There are also 7 American modules, Japanese and European.

Purpose of compartments

Cosmonauts of the International Space Station should not only live on the ship, but also to fulfill research and experimental work. To ensure such an opportunity, modules are several types:

• for life support - water purification and air generation is carried out;
• service - to control flight;
• laboratory - for scientific experiments and experiments;
• connectors - perform the functions of the docking node.

Also on the ISS there is a greenhouse for growing fresh greenery, two toilets (both are constructed by Russian specialists) and other working compartments and recreation rooms and hygienic procedures. The number of compartments, however, as their purpose, in the future will certainly change, as the project is constantly developing, the number of work performed is increasing, which are an invaluable contribution to the development of space.

Pilotable orbital Multipurpose Space Research Complex

International Space Station (ISS), created for research in space. Construction was started in 1998 and is conducted with the cooperation of aerospace agencies of Russia, the USA, Japan, Canada, Brazil and the European Union, according to the plan should be completed by in 2013. The weight of the station after completing its construction will be approximately 400 tons. The ISS rotates around the Earth at an altitude of about 340 kilometers, making 16 revolutions per day. Approximately the station will work in orbit until 2016-2020.

Figured 10 years after the first space flight committed by Yuri Gagarin, in April 1971, the first Salute-1 space orbital station was bred in orbit. Long-term dwelling stations (DOS) were necessary for scientific research. Their creation was a necessary stage in the preparation of future flights of a person to other planets. In the course of the implementation of the Salute program from 1971 to 1986, the USSR had the opportunity to test the main architectural elements of space stations and subsequently use them in the project of a new long-term orbital station - "Peace".

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a reduction in the financing of the space program, so Russia alone could not only build a new orbital station, but also to maintain the health of the Mir station. Then Americans have the experience of creating a DU almost absent. In 1993, Vice President of the United States Albert Mountains and Prime Minister of Russia Viktor Chernomyrdin signed an agreement on cosmic cooperation "World - Shuttle". The Americans agreed to finance the construction of the last two modules of the Mir station: "Spectrum" and "Nature". In addition, the United States from 1994 to 1998 committed 11 flights to the "world". The agreement also provided for the creation of a joint project - the International Space Station (ISS). In addition to the Federal Space Agency of Russia (Roscosmos) and the National Aerospace Agency of the United States (NASA), the Japanese Agency Aerospace Research (JAXA), the European Space Agency (ESA, has 17 member countries), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) , as well as the Brazil Space Agency (AEB). Interest in participation in the ISS project expressed India and China. On January 28, 1998, a final agreement was signed in Washington on the beginning of the construction of the ISS.

The ISS has a modular structure: its different segments are created by the efforts of the project participating countries and have their own specific function: research, living, or used as storage facilities. Some of the modules, such as American Unity series modules, are jumpers or serve to dock with transport ships. In the completed form of the ISS, it will consist of 14 major modules with a total volume of 1000 cubic meters, the crew from 6 or 7 people will be constantly on board the station.

The weight of the ISS after the completion of its construction, according to the plans, will be more than 400 tons. In terms of dimensions, the station approximately corresponds to the soccer field. In the starry sky, it can be observed with a naked eye - sometimes the station is the brightest celestial body after the sun and the moon.

The ISS rotates around the earth at an altitude of about 340 kilometers, making 16 revolutions around it per day. Scientific experiments are carried out on board the station in the following areas:

• Studies of new medical methods of therapy and diagnosis and livelihoods in weightlessness
• Research in the field of biology, the functioning of living organisms in outer space under the influence of solar radiation
• Experiments on the study of the earthly atmosphere, cosmic rays, cosmic dust and dark matter
• Study of the properties of matter, including superconductivity.

The first module of the station - "Zarya" (weighs 19,323 tons) - was taken into orbit with a "Proton-K" launch vehicle on November 20, 1998. This module was used at an early station construction station as a source of electricity, also to manage orientation in space and maintain temperature regime. Subsequently, these functions were transferred to other modules, and "Zarya" began to be used as a warehouse.

The "Star" module is the main residential station module, on board there are livelihood and station management systems. Russian transport ships "Union" and "Progress" are dragged to it. The module was late for two years was to orbit the Proton-K with a launch vehicle in July 12, 2000 and docked on July 26 with the "Zarya" and previously derived to the orbit of the UNITY-1 docking module.

The docking module "Pierce" (weighs 3,480 tons) was launched in orbit in September 2001, serves to dock the "Union" and "Progress" ships, as well as to enter outdoor space. In November 2009, the station was docked with almost identical "Pierce" Module "Search".

Russia plans to sharpen a multifunctional laboratory module (MLM) to the station, after launching in 2012 it should become the largest laboratory station module weighing more than 20 tons.

The ISS already has laboratory modules of the United States (Destiny), Eka (Columbus) and Japan (CIBO). They and the main nodal segments of Harmony, Quest and Unnity were brought to the orbit shuttle.

In the first 10 years of the work of the ISS, more than 200 people from 28 expeditions visited, which is a record for space stations (on the "world" only 104 people visited). ISS became the first example of commercialization space flights. Roscosmos, together with Space Adventures, for the first time sent Space Tourists to the orbit. In addition, as part of a contract for the purchase of Malaysia of Russian weapons, Roskosmos in 2007 organized a flight to the ISS of the first Malaysian cosmonaut - Sheikha Muzafar Shukor (Muszaphar Shukor).

Among the most serious incidents on the ISS, you can call a catastrophe when landing the Columbia Shuttle (Columbia, "Colombia") on February 1, 2003. Although Columbia was not sharpened with the ISS, conducting an independent research mission, this catastrophe led to the fact that the flights of the shuttle were discontinued and resumed only in July 2005. This moved away the deadline for the construction of the station and did russian ships "Union" and "Progress" is the only means of delivering astronauts and cargo to the station. In addition, in the Russian segment of the station in 2006, a smoke occurred, and the refusal of computers was recorded in Russian and American segments in 2001 and twice in 2007. In the fall of 2007, the plant crew was engaged in the repair of the solar battery, which happened when it was installed.

By agreement, each participant of the project belongs to its segments on the ISS. Russia owns the "Star" and "Pierce" modules, Japan is the Kibo module, the COLUMBUS module. Solar panels, which, after completing the construction of the station, will generate 110 kilowatts per hour, and the remaining modules belong to NASA.

The end of the construction of the ISS is scheduled for 2013. Thanks to the new equipment delivered aboard the ISS by the Expedition of Shuttle Endeavour, in November 2008, the crew of the station will be increased in 2009 from 3 to 6 people. Initially, it was planned that the ISS station should work in orbit until 2010, in 2008 another date was 2016 or 2020. According to experts, the ISS, unlike the Mir station, will not be dried in the ocean, it is supposed to use it as a base for the assembly of interplanetary ships. Despite the fact that NASA was spoken for a decrease in station financing, the head of the agency Michael Griffin promised to fulfill all the obligations of the United States to complete its construction. However, after the war in South Ossetia, many experts, including Griffin, stated that the cooling of relations between Russia and the United States could lead to the fact that Roscosmos will cease to cooperate with NASA and the Americans will deprive the opportunities to send their expeditions to the station. In 2010, US President Barack Obama announced the cessation of the financing of the "Constellation" program, which was supposed to replace the shuttle. In July 2011, Atlantis's shuttle was made his last flight, after which the Americans had to rely on Russian, European and Japanese colleagues to deliver cargoes and astronauts during an indefinite period. In May 2012, the Dragon ship docked with the ISS, which belonged to the private American company Spacex.

The International Space Station is the piloted orbital station of the Earth, the fruit of the work of fifteen countries of the world, hundreds of billions of dollars and a dozen serving staff in the form of astronauts and astronauts, regularly traveling on board the ISS. The International Space Station is such a symbolic outpost of humanity in space, the most distant point of permanent residence of people in airless space (there are no colonies on Mars, of course). ISS was launched in 1998 as a sign of reconciliation of countries who tried to develop their own orbital stations (and it was, but not long) during cold WarAnd it will work until 2024, if nothing changes. On board the ISS, experiments are regularly held, which give their definitively significant for the science and development of cosmos fruits.

Last night in the household compartment of the ship "Union of MS-09", docked to the International Space Station, was discovered. The air pressure fell slightly, therefore there were no reasons. Most likely, the leakage on board the "Union" occurred on the night of August 30 due to micrometeor. A day later, the leakage was eliminated, the control check will be held in the morning of August 31.

International Space Station (ISS) - the succession of the Soviet Station "Mir" - celebrates the 10th anniversary from the date of creation. The ISS Creating Agreement was signed on January 29, 1998 in Washington by Canadian representatives, the Government of the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, Russia and the United States.

Work at the International Space Station began in 1993.

March 15, 1993 cEO RKA Yu.N. Copteis and General Designer NPO "Energia" Yu.P. Semenov turned to the head of NASA D. Goldin with a proposal to create an international space station.

September 2, 1993 Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation V.S. Chernomyrdin and Vice President of the United States A. Mountains signed a "joint statement of cooperation in space", including the creation of a joint station. In its development, the RKA and NASA developed on November 1, 1993 signed a "detailed work plan for the International Space Station." This allowed to sign a contract between NASA and the RCA on the supply and services for the Mir station and the International Space Station in June 1994.

Taking into account individual changes in joint meetings of the Russian and American Parties in 1994, the ISS had the following structure and organization of work:

In the creation of the station, in addition to Russia and the United States, Canada, Japan and European cooperation countries are involved;

The station will consist of 2 integrated segments (Russian and American) and assembled in orbit gradually from individual modules.

The construction of an ISS in an near-earth orbit began on November 20, 1998 by the launch of the Functional Freight Block "Zarya".
Already on December 7, 1998, the American connecting module "Uniti" was downtown to him, delivered to the orbit shuttle "Indebor".

On December 10, the hatches in a new station were opened for the first time. The first to her entered Russian cosmonaut Sergey Krikalev and American astronaut Robert Kaban.

On July 26, 2000, the "Star" service module was introduced into the ISS, which at the station deployment stage became its base block, the main place for the life and operation of the crew.

In November 2000, the crew of the first long experiment arrived at the ISS: William Shepherd (commander), Yuri Hyzenko (Pilot) and Sergey Krikalev (flight engineer). Since then, the station is permanent.

During the deployment of the station on board the ISS, 15 major expeditions and 13 visiting expeditions were visited. Currently, the station is located the crew of the 16th main expedition - the first woman commander of the ISS US American, Peggy Whitson, ISS Bartins, Russian Yury Malenchenko and American Daniel Tanya.

As part of a separate agreement with ESA, six flights of European astronauts were performed on the ISS: Claud Enerères (France) - in 2001, Roberto Vittori (Italy) - in 2002 and 2005, Frank de Vinna (Belgium) - in 2002, Pedro Duoka (Spain) - In 2003, Andre Keypex (Netherlands) - in 2004.

The new page in the commercial use of space was opened after flights to the Russian segment of the first space tourists - American Denis Tito (in 2001) and South African Mark Shatestworth (in 2002). For the first time at the station visited non-professional astronauts.