Briefly about the article: The ISS is the most expensive and ambitious project of mankind on the way to space exploration. However, the construction of the station is in full swing, and it is not yet known what will happen to it in a couple of years. We talk about the creation of the ISS and plans for its completion.
space house
international space station
You remain in charge. But don't touch anything.
A joke by Russian cosmonauts about the American Shannon Lucid, which they repeated every time they went out into outer space from the Mir station (1996).
Back in 1952, the German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun said that humanity would need space stations very soon: as soon as it went into space, it would be unstoppable. And for the systematic development of the Universe, orbital houses are needed. On April 19, 1971, the Soviet Union launched the Salyut 1 space station, the first in the history of mankind. It was only 15 meters long, and the volume of habitable space was 90 square meters. By today's standards, the pioneers flew into space on unreliable scrap metal stuffed with radio tubes, but then it seemed that there were no more barriers to man in space. Now, 30 years later, only one habitable object hangs above the planet - "International Space Station".
It is the largest, most advanced, but at the same time the most expensive station among all that have ever been launched. Increasingly, questions are being asked - do people need it? Like, what do we need in space, if there are so many problems left on Earth? Perhaps it is worth understanding - what is this ambitious project?
The roar of the spaceport
The International Space Station (ISS) is a joint project of 6 space agencies: the Federal Space Agency (Russia), the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (USA), the Japan Aerospace Research Authority (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA / ASC), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
However, not all members of the latter took part in the ISS project - Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, Austria and Finland refused this, while Greece and Luxembourg joined later. In fact, the ISS is based on a synthesis of failed projects - the Russian Mir-2 station and the American Svoboda.
Work on the creation of the ISS began in 1993. The Mir station was launched on February 19, 1986 and had a warranty period of 5 years. In fact, she spent 15 years in orbit - due to the fact that the country simply did not have the money to launch the Mir-2 project. The Americans had similar problems - the Cold War ended, and their Svoboda station, which had already spent about 20 billion dollars on one design, was out of work.
Russia had a 25-year practice of working with orbital stations, unique methods of long-term (over a year) stay of a person in space. In addition, the USSR and the USA had a good experience of working together on board the Mir station. In conditions when no country could independently pull an expensive orbital station, the ISS became the only alternative.
On March 15, 1993, representatives of the Russian Space Agency and the scientific and production association Energia approached NASA with a proposal to create the ISS. On September 2, a corresponding government agreement was signed, and by November 1, a detailed work plan was prepared. Financial issues of interaction (supply of equipment) were resolved in the summer of 1994, and 16 countries joined the project.
What's in your name?The name "ISS" was born in controversy. The first crew of the station, at the suggestion of the Americans, gave it the name "Station Alpha" and used it for some time in communication sessions. Russia did not agree with this option, since “Alpha” figuratively meant “first”, although the Soviet Union had already launched 8 space stations (7 “Salyuts” and “Mir”), and the Americans were experimenting with their “Skylab”. From our side, the name “Atlantis” was proposed, but the Americans rejected it for two reasons - firstly, it was too similar to the name of their shuttle “Atlantis”, and secondly, it was associated with the mythical Atlantis, which, as you know, drowned . It was decided to stop at the phrase "International Space Station" - not too sonorous, but a compromise. |
Go!
The deployment of the ISS was launched by Russia on November 20, 1998. The Proton rocket launched the Zarya functional cargo block into orbit, which, along with the American NODE-1 docking module, delivered into space on December 5 of the same year by the Endevere shuttle, formed the backbone of the ISS.
"Dawn"- the heir to the Soviet TKS (supply transport ship), designed to serve Almaz combat stations. At the first stage of the ISS assembly, it became a source of electricity, an equipment warehouse, a means of navigation and orbit correction. All other modules of the ISS now have a more specific specialization, while Zarya is practically universal and in the future will serve as a storage facility (food, fuel, instruments).
Officially, Zarya is owned by the United States - they paid for its creation - however, in fact, the module was assembled from 1994 to 1998 at the Khrunichev State Space Center. It was included in the ISS instead of the Bus-1 module, designed by the American corporation Lockheed, since it cost $450 million compared to $220 million for Zarya.
Zarya has three docking airlocks - one at each end and one on the side. Its solar panels are 10.67 meters long and 3.35 meters wide. In addition, the module has six nickel-cadmium batteries capable of delivering about 3 kilowatts of power (at first, there were problems with charging them).
Along the outer perimeter of the module there are 16 fuel tanks with a total volume of 6 cubic meters (5700 kilograms of fuel), 24 large rotary jet engines, 12 small ones, as well as 2 main engines for serious orbital maneuvers. Zarya is capable of autonomous (unmanned) flight for 6 months, but due to delays with the Russian service module Zvezda, it had to fly empty for 2 years.
Unity module(created by the Boeing Corporation) went into space after the Zarya in December 1998. Being equipped with six docking locks, it became the central connecting node for the subsequent modules of the station. Unity is vital to the ISS. The working resources of all station modules - oxygen, water and electricity - pass through it. The Unity also has a basic radio communications system installed to allow Zarya's communication capabilities to communicate with the Earth.
Service module “Zvezda”- the main Russian segment of the ISS - was launched on July 12, 2000 and docked with Zarya 2 weeks later. Its frame was built back in the 1980s for the Mir-2 project (the design of the Zvezda is very reminiscent of the first Salyut stations, and its design features are of the Mir station).
Simply put, this module is housing for astronauts. It is equipped with life support systems, communications, control, data processing, as well as a propulsion system. The total mass of the module is 19050 kilograms, the length is 13.1 meters, the span of the solar panels is 29.72 meters.
Zvezda has two beds, an exercise bike, a treadmill, a toilet (and other hygienic facilities), and a refrigerator. External view is provided by 14 windows. The Russian electrolytic system "Electron" decomposes waste water. Hydrogen is taken overboard, and oxygen enters the life support system. Paired with Electron, the Air system works, absorbing carbon dioxide.
Theoretically, waste water can be cleaned and reused, but this is rarely practiced on the ISS - fresh water is delivered on board by cargo Progress. It must be said that the Electron system malfunctioned several times and the cosmonauts had to use chemical generators - the same “oxygen candles” that once caused a fire at the Mir station.
In February 2001, a laboratory module was attached to the ISS (to one of the Unity gateways). "Destiny"(“Destiny”) - an aluminum cylinder weighing 14.5 tons, 8.5 meters long and 4.3 meters in diameter. It is equipped with five mounting racks with life support systems (each weighs 540 kilograms and can produce electricity, cool water and control the composition of the air), as well as six racks of scientific equipment delivered a little later. The remaining 12 empty slots will be occupied over time.
In May 2001, the Quest Joint Airlock, the main airlock compartment of the ISS, was attached to Unity. This six-ton cylinder, measuring 5.5 by 4 meters, is equipped with four high-pressure cylinders (2 - oxygen, 2 - nitrogen) to compensate for the loss of air released to the outside, and is relatively inexpensive - only 164 million dollars.
Its working space of 34 cubic meters is used for spacewalks, and the dimensions of the airlock allow the use of suits of any type. The fact is that the design of our "Orlans" involves their use only in Russian transfer compartments, a similar situation with American EMUs.
In this module, astronauts going into space can also rest and breathe pure oxygen to get rid of decompression sickness (with a sharp change in pressure, nitrogen, the amount of which in the tissues of our bodies reaches 1 liter, goes into a gaseous state).
The last of the assembled ISS modules is the Russian Pirs docking compartment (SO-1). The creation of SO-2 was discontinued due to funding problems, so the ISS now has only one module, to which the Soyuz-TMA and Progress spacecraft can be easily docked - and three of them at once. In addition, cosmonauts dressed in our spacesuits can go outside from it.
And, finally, one more module of the ISS cannot be mentioned - the baggage multi-purpose support module. Strictly speaking, there are three of them - "Leonardo", "Raffaello" and "Donatello" (artists of the Renaissance, as well as three of the four ninja turtles). Each module is an almost equilateral cylinder (4.4 by 4.57 meters) transported on shuttles.
It can store up to 9 tons of cargo (tare weight - 4082 kilograms, with a maximum load - 13154 kilograms) - supplies delivered to the ISS, and waste taken away from it. All of the module's baggage is in normal air, so astronauts can get to it without using space suits. The baggage modules were manufactured in Italy by order of NASA and belong to the American segments of the ISS. They are used in sequence.
Useful little things
In addition to the main modules, the ISS has a large amount of additional equipment. It is inferior in size to the modules, but without it, the operation of the station is impossible.
The working “arms”, or rather, the “hand” of the station, is the “Canadarm2” manipulator, mounted on the ISS in April 2001. This high-tech machine worth 600 million dollars is capable of moving objects weighing up to 116 tons - for example, helping to assemble modules, docking and unloading shuttles (their own “hands” are very similar to “Canadarm2”, only smaller and weaker).
Own length of the manipulator - 17.6 meters, diameter - 35 centimeters. It is controlled by astronauts from the laboratory module. The most interesting thing is that "Canadarm2" is not fixed in one place and is able to move around the surface of the station, providing access to most of its parts.
Unfortunately, due to differences in connection ports located on the surface of the station, “Canadarm2” cannot move around our modules. In the near future (presumably 2007), it is planned to install ERA (European Robotic Arm) on the Russian segment of the ISS - a shorter and weaker, but more accurate manipulator (positioning accuracy - 3 millimeters), capable of operating in semi-automatic mode without constant control of astronauts.
In accordance with the safety requirements of the ISS project, a rescue ship is constantly on duty at the station, capable of delivering the crew to Earth if necessary. Now this function is performed by the good old Soyuz (TMA model) - it is able to take on board 3 people and provide them with life support for 3.2 days. "Unions" have a short warranty period in orbit, so they are changed every 6 months.
The workhorses of the ISS are currently the Russian Progresses, the brothers of the Soyuz, operating in unmanned mode. During the day, an astronaut consumes about 30 kilograms of cargo (food, water, hygiene products, etc.). Consequently, for a regular six-month duty at the station, one person needs 5.4 tons of supplies. It is impossible to carry so much on the Soyuz, so the station is mainly supplied by shuttles (up to 28 tons of cargo).
After the termination of their flights, from February 1, 2003 to July 26, 2005, the entire load on the station's clothing support lay on Progress (2.5 tons of load). After unloading the ship, it was filled with waste, undocked automatically and burned up in the atmosphere somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.
Crew: 2 people (as of July 2005), maximum - 3
Orbit height: From 347.9 km to 354.1 km
Orbital inclination: 51.64 degrees
Daily revolutions around the Earth: 15.73
Distance covered: About 1.5 billion kilometers
Average speed: 7.69 km/s
Current weight: 183.3 tons
Fuel weight: 3.9 tons
Living space: 425 square meters
Average temperature on board: 26.9 degrees Celsius
Estimated Completion: 2010
Planned life: 15 years
The complete assembly of the ISS will require 39 shuttle flights and 30 Progress flights. In finished form, the station will look like this: airspace volume - 1200 cubic meters, weight - 419 tons, power-to-weight ratio - 110 kilowatts, total length of the structure - 108.4 meters (74 meters in modules), crew - 6 people.
At the crossroads
Until 2003, the construction of the ISS went on as usual. Some modules were canceled, others were delayed, sometimes there were problems with money, faulty equipment - in general, things were going tight, but nevertheless, over the 5 years of its existence, the station became habitable and scientific experiments were periodically conducted on it.
On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was lost while entering the dense layers of the atmosphere. The American manned flight program was suspended for 2.5 years. Given that the station modules waiting for their turn could only be launched into orbit by shuttles, the very existence of the ISS was in jeopardy.
Fortunately, the United States and Russia were able to agree on a redistribution of costs. We took over the provision of the ISS with cargo, and the station itself was transferred to the standby mode - two cosmonauts were constantly on board to monitor the serviceability of the equipment.
Shuttle launches
After the successful flight of the Discovery shuttle in July-August 2005, there was hope that the construction of the station would continue. First in line for launch is Unity's connector module twin, Node 2. The preliminary date of its launch is December 2006.
The European Science Module Columbus will be the second, scheduled for launch in March 2007. This lab is ready and waiting in the wings to be attached to Node 2. It boasts good anti-meteorite protection, a unique device for the study of fluid physics, as well as the European Physiological Module (a comprehensive medical examination right on board the station).
Following the "Columbus" will go Japanese laboratory "Kibo" ("Hope") - its launch is scheduled for September 2007. It is interesting because it has its own mechanical manipulator, as well as a closed "terrace" where you can conduct experiments in open space without actually leaving the ship.
The third connecting module - "Node 3" is to go to the ISS in May 2008. In July 2009 it is planned to launch a unique rotating centrifuge module CAM (Centrifuge Accommodations Module), on board which will be created artificial gravity in the range from 0.01 to 2 g. It is designed mainly for scientific research - the permanent residence of astronauts in the conditions of gravity, which is so often described by science fiction writers, is not provided.
In March 2009, the ISS will fly "Cupola" ("Dome") - an Italian development, which, as its name implies, is an armored observation dome for visual control over the station's manipulators. For safety, the portholes will be equipped with external shutters to protect against meteorites.
The last module delivered to the ISS by American shuttles will be the Science and Force Platform, a massive block of solar panels on an openwork metal truss. It will provide the station with the energy necessary for the normal functioning of the new modules. It will also feature ERA's mechanical arm.
Launches on Protons
Russian Proton rockets are supposed to carry three large modules to the ISS. So far, only a very approximate flight schedule is known. Thus, in 2007 it is planned to add to the station our spare functional cargo block (FGB-2 - the twin of Zarya), which will be turned into a multifunctional laboratory.
In the same year, the European ERA manipulator arm is to be deployed by Proton. And, finally, in 2009 it will be necessary to put into operation a Russian research module, functionally similar to the American "Destiny".
| It is interesting |
Space stations are frequent guests in science fiction. The two most famous are “Babylon 5” from the television series of the same name and “Deep Space 9” from the Star Trek series. The textbook look of the space station in SF was created by director Stanley Kubrick. His film 2001: A Space Odyssey (screenplay and book by Arthur C. Clarke) showed a large ring station rotating on its axis, thus creating artificial gravity. The longest human stay on the space station is 437.7 days. The record was set by Valery Polyakov at the Mir station in 1994-1995. The Soviet Salyut stations were originally supposed to bear the name Zarya, but it was left for the next similar project, which, in the end, became the ISS functional cargo block. In one of the expeditions to the ISS, a tradition arose to hang three banknotes on the wall of the residential module - 50 rubles, a dollar and a euro. For luck. The first space marriage in the history of mankind was concluded on the ISS - on August 10, 2003, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, while on board the station (she flew over New Zealand), married Ekaterina Dmitrieva (the bride was on Earth, in the USA). |
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The ISS is the largest, most expensive and long-term space project in the history of mankind. While the station is not yet completed, its cost can be estimated only approximately - over 100 billion dollars. Criticism of the ISS most often boils down to the fact that this money can be used to carry out hundreds of unmanned scientific expeditions to the planets of the solar system.
There is some truth in such accusations. However, this is a very limited approach. First, it does not take into account the potential profit from the development of new technologies with the creation of each new module of the ISS - and after all, its instruments are really at the forefront of science. Their modifications can be used in Everyday life and can generate huge income.
We must not forget that thanks to the ISS program, humanity gets the opportunity to preserve and increase all the precious technologies and skills of manned space flights, which were obtained in the second half of the 20th century at an incredible price. In the “space race” of the USSR and the USA, big money was spent, many people died - all this may be in vain if we stop moving in the same direction.
Hello, if you have any questions about the International Space Station and how it functions, we will try to answer them.
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Today you will learn about such an interesting NASA project as the ISS online webcam in hd quality. As you already understood, this webcam works live and on the network video is coming directly from the International Space Station. On the screen above, you can look at the astronauts and a picture of space.
The ISS webcam is installed on the station shell and broadcasts online video around the clock.
I want to remind you that the most grandiose object in space created by us is the International Space Station. Its location can be observed on tracking, which displays its real position above the surface of our planet. The orbit is displayed in real time on your computer, literally 5-10 years ago this was unimaginable.
The dimensions of the ISS are amazing: length - 51 meters, width - 109 meters, height - 20 meters, and weight - 417.3 tons. The weight changes depending on whether the SOYUZ is docked to it or not, I want to remind you that the Space Shuttle space shuttles no longer fly, their program has been curtailed, and the United States uses our SOYUZS.
Station structure
Animation of the construction process from 1999 to 2010.
The station is built on the principle of a modular structure: the various segments have been designed and built by the efforts of the participating countries. Each module has its own specific function: for example, research, residential, or adapted for storage.
3D model of the station
3D construction animation
As an example, let's take the American Unity modules, which are jumpers and also serve to dock with ships. At the moment, the station consists of 14 main modules. Their total volume is 1000 cubic meters, and the weight is about 417 tons, a crew of 6 or 7 people can be on board at all times.
The station was assembled by sequential docking to the existing complex of the next block or module, which is connected to those already operating in orbit.
If we take information for 2013, then the station includes 14 main modules, of which Russian ones are Poisk, Rassvet, Zarya, Zvezda and Pirs. American segments - Unity, Domes, Leonardo, Tranquility, Destiny, Quest and Harmony, European - Columbus and Japanese - Kibo.
This diagram shows all the main, as well as secondary modules that are part of the station (shaded), and planned for delivery in the future are not filled.
The distance from the Earth to the ISS is between 413-429 km. Periodically, the station is “raised” due to the fact that it is slowly, due to friction against the remnants of the atmosphere, decreasing. At what height it is also depends on other factors, such as space debris.
Earth, bright spots - lightning
The recent blockbuster "Gravity" clearly (albeit slightly exaggerated) showed what can happen in orbit if space debris flies in close proximity. Also, the height of the orbit depends on the influence of the Sun, and other less significant factors.
There is a special service that ensures that the ISS flight altitude is the safest and that the astronauts are not in danger.
There were cases when, due to space debris, it was necessary to change the trajectory, so its height also depends on factors beyond our control. The trajectory is clearly visible on the graphs, it is noticeable how the station crosses the seas and continents, flying literally over our heads.
Orbital speed
Spaceships of the SOYUZ series against the background of the Earth, taken with a long exposure
If you find out how fast the ISS is flying, then you will be horrified, these are truly gigantic numbers for the Earth. Its speed in orbit is 27,700 km/h. To be precise, the speed is more than 100 times faster than a standard production car. It takes 92 minutes to complete one revolution. Astronauts have 16 sunrises and sunsets in 24 hours. The real-time position is monitored by specialists from the Mission Control Center and the Mission Control Center in Houston. If you are watching the broadcast, then keep in mind that the ISS space station periodically flies into the shadow of our planet, so there may be interruptions with the picture.
Statistics and interesting facts
If we take the first 10 years of the station’s operation, then in total it was visited by about 200 people as part of 28 expeditions, this figure is an absolute record for space stations (on our Mir station, “only” 104 people visited before). In addition to occupancy records, the station was the first successful example of the commercialization of spaceflight. The Russian space agency Roskosmos, together with the American company Space Adventures, has delivered space tourists into orbit for the first time.
In total, 8 tourists visited space, for whom each flight cost from 20 to 30 million dollars, which, in general, is not so expensive.
According to the most conservative estimates, the number of people who can go on a real space journey is in the thousands.
In the future, with mass launches, the cost of the flight will decrease, and the number of applicants will increase. Already in 2014, private companies offer a worthy alternative to such flights - a suborbital shuttle, the flight on which will cost much less, the requirements for tourists are not so strict, and the cost is more affordable. From the height of a suborbital flight (about 100-140 km), our planet will appear before future travelers as an amazing cosmic miracle.
Live broadcast is one of the few interactive astronomical events that we see not on record, which is very convenient. Remember that the online station is not always available, technical breaks are possible when flying through the shadow zone. It is best to watch video from the ISS from a camera that is aimed at the Earth, when there is still such an opportunity to view our planet from orbit.
Earth from orbit looks truly amazing, not only continents, seas, and cities are visible. Also presented to your attention are the auroras and huge hurricanes, which look truly fantastic from space.
For you to have at least some idea of what the Earth looks like from the ISS, watch the video below.
This video shows the view of the Earth from space and was created from time-lapse images of astronauts. Very high quality video, watch only in 720p quality and with sound. One of the best clips, assembled from images from orbit.
The webcam in real time shows not only what is behind the skin, we can also watch the astronauts at work, for example, unloading SOYUZs or docking them. Live broadcasts can sometimes be interrupted when the channel is congested or there are problems with signal transmission, for example, in relay zones. Therefore, if the broadcast is not possible, then a static NASA splash screen or "blue screen" is shown on the screen.
The station in the moonlight, the SOYUZ ships are visible against the background of the constellation Orion and auroras
However, take a moment to look at the view from the ISS online. When the crew is resting, users of the global Internet can watch the live broadcast of the starry sky from the ISS through the eyes of astronauts - from a height of 420 km above the planet.
Crew Schedule
To calculate when astronauts are asleep or awake, it must be remembered that space uses coordinated universal time (UTC), which is three hours behind Moscow time in winter, and four hours behind in summer, and, accordingly, the camera on the ISS shows the same time.
Astronauts (or cosmonauts, depending on the crew) are given eight and a half hours of sleep. The rise usually starts at 6.00, and hangs up at 21.30. There are obligatory morning reports to Earth, which begin at about 7.30 - 7.50 (this is on the American segment), at 7.50 - 8.00 (in the Russian segment), and in the evening from 18.30 to 19.00. Astronauts' reports can be heard if the webcam is currently broadcasting this particular communication channel. Sometimes you can hear the broadcast in Russian.
Remember that you are listening and watching a NASA service channel, which was originally intended only for specialists. Everything changed on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the station, and on the ISS the online camera became public. And, until now, the International Space Station is online.
Docking with spaceships
The most exciting moments that the web camera broadcasts occur when our Soyuz, Progress, Japanese and European cargo spacecraft dock, and besides this, cosmonauts and astronauts go into outer space.
A small annoyance is that the congestion of the channel at this moment is huge, hundreds and thousands of people watch video from the ISS, the load on the channel increases, and the live broadcast can be intermittent. This spectacle, sometimes, is truly fantastically exciting!
Flight over the surface of the planet
By the way, if we take into account the regions of the span, as well as the intervals of the station being in areas of shadow or light, we can plan the viewing of the broadcast ourselves according to the graphic diagram at the top of this page.
But if you can only watch a certain amount of time, remember that the webcam is online all the time, so you can always enjoy space scenery. However, it is better to watch it while the astronauts are working or the ship is docking.
Incidents during work
Despite all the precautions at the station, and with the ships that served it, unpleasant situations happened, of the most serious incidents, the Columbia shuttle disaster that occurred on February 1, 2003 can be called. Despite the fact that the shuttle did not dock with the station, and carried out its own independent mission, this tragedy led to the fact that all subsequent space shuttle flights were banned, and this ban was lifted only in July 2005. Because of this, the construction completion time increased, since only Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft could fly to the station, which became the only means of delivering people and various cargoes into orbit.
Also, in 2006, there was a slight smoke in the Russian segment, there was a failure in the operation of computers in 2001 and twice in 2007. The autumn of 2007 turned out to be the most troublesome for the crew. I had to deal with the repair of the solar battery, which broke during installation.
International Space Station (photo taken by amateur astronomers)
Using the data on this page, finding out where the ISS is now is not difficult. The station looks quite bright from Earth, so that it can be seen with the naked eye as a star that moves, and quite quickly, from west to east.
Station shot at long exposure
Some amateur astronomers even manage to get a photo of the ISS from Earth.
These pictures look quite high quality, you can even see the docked ships on them, and if the astronauts go into outer space, then their figures.
If you are going to observe it through a telescope, then remember that it moves quite quickly, and it is better if you have a go-to guidance system that allows you to track the object without losing sight of it.
Where the station flies now can be seen on the graph above
If you don't know how to see it from the Earth or you don't have a telescope, this video broadcast is available for free and around the clock!
Information provided by the European Space Agency
According to this interactive scheme, it is possible to calculate the observation of the passage of the station. If the weather is good and there are no clouds, then you will be able to see for yourself the charming gliding, the station which is the pinnacle of the progress of our civilization.
You just need to remember that the orbital inclination angle of the station is approximately 51 degrees, it flies over such cities as Voronezh, Saratov, Kursk, Orenburg, Astana, Komsomolsk-on-Amur). The further north you live from this line, the conditions for seeing it with your own eyes will be worse or even impossible. In fact, you can only see it above the horizon in the southern part of the sky.
If we take the latitude of Moscow, then the best time to observe it is a trajectory that will be slightly higher than 40 degrees above the horizon, this is after sunset and before sunrise.
The International Space Station is the result of the joint work of specialists from a number of fields from sixteen countries of the world (Russia, the USA, Canada, Japan, the states that are members of the European community). The grandiose project, which in 2013 celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the start of its implementation, embodies all the achievements of the technical thought of our time. An impressive part of the material about the near and far space and some terrestrial phenomena and processes of scientists is provided by the international space station. The ISS, however, was not built in one day; its creation was preceded by almost thirty years of astronautical history.
How it all began
The predecessors of the ISS were Soviet technicians and engineers. Work on the Almaz project began at the end of 1964. Scientists were working on a manned orbital station, which could accommodate 2-3 astronauts. It was assumed that "Diamond" will serve for two years and all this time will be used for research. According to the project, the main part of the complex was the OPS - manned orbital station. It housed the working areas of the crew members, as well as the household compartment. The OPS was equipped with two hatches for spacewalks and dropping special capsules with information to Earth, as well as a passive docking station.
The efficiency of the station is largely determined by its energy reserves. The developers of Almaz found a way to increase them many times over. The delivery of astronauts and various cargo to the station was carried out by transport supply ships (TKS). They, among other things, were equipped with an active docking system, a powerful energy resource, and an excellent traffic control system. TKS was able to supply the station with energy for a long time, as well as manage the entire complex. All subsequent similar projects, including the international space station, were created using the same method of saving OPS resources.
First
Rivalry with the United States forced Soviet scientists and engineers to work as quickly as possible, so another orbital station, Salyut, was created in the shortest possible time. She was taken into space in April 1971. The basis of the station is the so-called working compartment, which includes two cylinders, small and large. Inside the smaller diameter there was a control center, sleeping places and recreation areas, storage and eating. The larger cylinder contained scientific equipment, simulators, which no such flight can do without, as well as a shower cabin and a toilet isolated from the rest of the room.
Each next Salyut was somehow different from the previous one: it was equipped with the latest equipment, had design features that corresponded to the development of technology and knowledge of that time. These orbital stations marked the beginning of a new era in the study of space and terrestrial processes. "Salutes" were the base on which a large amount of research was carried out in the field of medicine, physics, industry and Agriculture. It is also difficult to overestimate the experience of using the orbital station, which was successfully applied during the operation of the next manned complex.
"Peace"
The process of accumulating experience and knowledge was a long one, the result of which was the international space station. "Mir" - a modular manned complex - its next stage. The so-called block principle of creating a station was tested on it, when for some time the main part of it increases its technical and research power through the addition of new modules. It will subsequently be “borrowed” by the international space station. Mir became a model of our country's technical and engineering prowess and actually provided it with one of the leading roles in the creation of the ISS.
Work on the construction of the station began in 1979, and it was delivered into orbit on February 20, 1986. During the entire existence of the Mir, various studies were carried out on it. The necessary equipment was delivered as part of additional modules. The Mir station allowed scientists, engineers and researchers to gain invaluable experience in using this scale. In addition, it has become a place of peaceful international interaction: in 1992, an Agreement on Cooperation in Space was signed between Russia and the United States. It actually began to be implemented in 1995, when the American Shuttle went to the Mir station.
Completion of the flight
The Mir station has become the site of a variety of studies. Here they analyzed, refined and opened data in the field of biology and astrophysics, space technology and medicine, geophysics and biotechnology.
The station ended its existence in 2001. The reason for the decision to flood it was the development of an energy resource, as well as some accidents. Various versions of the object's rescue were put forward, but they were not accepted, and in March 2001 the Mir station was submerged in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Creation of the international space station: preparatory stage
The idea of creating the ISS arose at a time when no one had yet thought of flooding the Mir. The indirect reason for the emergence of the station was the political and financial crisis in our country and economic problems in USA. Both powers realized their inability to cope alone with the task of creating an orbital station. In the early nineties, a cooperation agreement was signed, one of the points of which was the international space station. The ISS as a project united not only Russia and the United States, but also, as already noted, fourteen more countries. Simultaneously with the selection of participants, the approval of the ISS project took place: the station will consist of two integrated units, American and Russian, and will be completed in orbit in a modular way similar to Mir.
"Dawn"
The first international space station began its existence in orbit in 1998. On November 20, with the help of a Proton rocket, a Russian-made functional cargo block Zarya was launched. It became the first segment of the ISS. Structurally, it was similar to some of the modules of the Mir station. It is interesting that the American side proposed to build the ISS directly in orbit, and only the experience of Russian colleagues and the example of Mir persuaded them towards the modular method.
Inside, Zarya is equipped with various instruments and equipment, docking, power supply, and control. An impressive amount of equipment, including fuel tanks, radiators, cameras and solar panels, is placed on the outside of the module. All external elements are protected from meteorites by special screens.
Module by module
On December 5, 1998, the Endeavor shuttle with the American Unity docking module headed for Zarya. Two days later, the Unity was docked to the Zarya. Further, the international space station “acquired” the Zvezda service module, which was also manufactured in Russia. Zvezda was a modernized base unit of the Mir station.
The docking of the new module took place on July 26, 2000. From that moment on, Zvezda took over control of the ISS, as well as all life support systems, and it became possible for the cosmonaut team to stay permanently on the station.
Transition to manned mode
The first crew of the International Space Station was delivered by Soyuz TM-31 on November 2, 2000. It included V. Shepherd - the expedition commander, Yu. Gidzenko - the pilot, - the flight engineer. From that moment, a new stage in the operation of the station began: it switched to a manned mode.
Composition of the second expedition: James Voss and Susan Helms. She changed her first crew in early March 2001.
and earthly phenomena
The International Space Station is a venue for various events. The task of each crew is to collect data on some space processes, studying the properties of certain substances in weightlessness, and so on. Scientific research carried out on the ISS can be presented in the form of a generalized list:
- observation of various remote space objects;
- study of cosmic rays;
- observation of the Earth, including the study of atmospheric phenomena;
- study of the features of physical and bioprocesses under weightlessness;
- testing of new materials and technologies in outer space;
- medical research, including the creation of new drugs, testing of diagnostic methods in weightlessness;
- production of semiconductor materials.
Future
Like any other object subjected to such a heavy load and so intensively exploited, the ISS will sooner or later cease to function at the required level. Initially, it was assumed that its “shelf life” would end in 2016, that is, the station was given only 15 years. However, already from the first months of its operation, assumptions began to sound that this period was somewhat underestimated. Today, hopes are expressed that the international space station will operate until 2020. Then, probably, the same fate awaits her as the Mir station: the ISS will be flooded in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Today, the international space station, the photo of which is presented in the article, successfully continues to orbit around our planet. From time to time in the media you can find references to new research done on board the station. The ISS is also the only object of space tourism: only at the end of 2012 it was visited by eight amateur astronauts.
It can be assumed that this type of entertainment will only gain strength, since the Earth from space is a bewitching view. And no photograph can be compared with the opportunity to contemplate such beauty from the window of the international space station.
The International Space Station, ISS (eng. International Space Station, ISS) is a manned multi-purpose space research complex.
The following are involved in the creation of the ISS: Russia (Federal Space Agency, Roskosmos); United States (US National Aerospace Agency, NASA); Japan (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA), 18 European countries(European Space Agency, ESA); Canada (Canadian Space Agency, CSA), Brazil (Brazilian Space Agency, AEB).
Start of construction - 1998.
The first module is "Dawn".
Completion of construction (presumably) - 2012.
The end date of the ISS is (presumably) 2020.
Orbit height - 350-460 kilometers from the Earth.
Orbital inclination - 51.6 degrees.
The ISS makes 16 revolutions per day.
The weight of the station (at the time of completion of construction) is 400 tons (for 2009 - 300 tons).
Internal space (at the time of completion of construction) - 1.2 thousand cubic meters.
Length (along the main axis along which the main modules lined up) is 44.5 meters.
Height - almost 27.5 meters.
Width (on solar panels) - more than 73 meters.
The first space tourists visited the ISS (sent by Roscosmos together with Space Adventures).
In 2007, the flight of the first Malaysian cosmonaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, was organized.
The cost of building the ISS by 2009 amounted to $100 billion.
Flight control:
the Russian segment is carried out from TsUP-M (TsUP-Moscow, the city of Korolev, Russia);
the American segment - from MCC-X (MCC-Houston, the city of Houston, USA).
The work of the laboratory modules included in the ISS is controlled by:
European "Columbus" - Control Center of the European Space Agency (Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany);
Japanese "Kibo" - MCC of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Tsukuba, Japan).
The flight of the European automatic cargo spacecraft ATV Jules Verne, intended for supplying the ISS, was controlled jointly with MCC-M and MCC-X by the Center of the European Space Agency (Toulouse, France).
The technical coordination of work on the Russian Segment of the ISS and its integration with the American Segment is carried out by the Council of Chief Designers under the leadership of the President, General Designer of RSC Energia named after V.I. S.P. Korolev, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yu.P. Semenov.
The Interstate Commission for Flight Support and Operation of Manned Orbital Systems is in charge of preparing and conducting the launch of elements of the ISS Russian Segment.
According to the existing international agreement, each project participant owns its segments on the ISS.
The leading organization for the creation of the Russian segment and its integration with the American segment is RSC Energia im. S.P. Queen, and in the American segment - the company "Boeing" ("Boeing").
About 200 organizations take part in the manufacture of elements of the Russian segment, including: the Russian Academy of Sciences; plant of experimental engineering RSC "Energia" them. S.P. Queen; rocket and space plant GKNPTs them. M.V. Khrunichev; GNP RCC "TsSKB-Progress"; Design Bureau of General Engineering; RNII of space instrumentation; Research Institute of Precision Instruments; RGNI TsPK im. Yu.A. Gagarin.
Russian segment: Zvezda service module; functional cargo block "Zarya"; docking compartment "Pirce".
American segment: node module "Unity" ("Unity"); gateway module "Quest" ("Quest"); laboratory module "Destiny" ("Destiny").
Canada has created a manipulator for the ISS on the LAB module - a 17.6-meter robot arm "Canadarm" ("Canadarm").
Italy supplies the ISS with the so-called Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLM). By 2009, three of them were made: "Leonardo", "Raffaello", "Donatello" ("Leonardo", "Raffaello", "Donatello"). These are large cylinders (6.4 x 4.6 meters) with a docking station. The empty logistics module weighs 4.5 tons and can be loaded with up to 10 tons of experimental equipment and consumables.
The delivery of people to the station is provided by Russian Soyuz and American shuttles (reusable shuttles); cargo is delivered by Russian "Progress" and American shuttles.
Japan created its first scientific orbital laboratory, which became the largest module of the ISS - "Kibo" (translated from Japanese as "Hope", the international abbreviation is JEM, Japanese Experiment Module).
By order of the European Space Agency, a consortium of European aerospace firms made the Columbus research module. It is intended for conducting physical, material science, biomedical and other experiments in the absence of gravity. By order of ESA, the Harmony module was made, which connects the Kibo and Columbus modules, as well as provides their power supply and data exchange.
Additional modules and devices were also made on the ISS: a module for the root segment and gyrodins at node-1 (Node 1); power module (section SB AS) on Z1; mobile service system; device for moving equipment and crew; device "B" of the equipment and crew movement system; trusses S0, S1, P1, P3/P4, P5, S3/S4, S5, S6.
All ISS laboratory modules have standardized racks for mounting units with experimental equipment. Over time, the ISS will acquire new nodes and modules: the Russian segment should be replenished with a scientific and energy platform, a multipurpose research module "Enterprise" ("Enterprise") and the second functional cargo block (FGB-2). On the Node 3 module, the "Cupola" assembly built in Italy will be mounted. This is a dome with a number of very large windows through which the inhabitants of the station, like in a theater, will be able to observe the arrival of ships and control the work of their colleagues in outer space.
History of the creation of the ISS
Work on the International Space Station began in 1993.
Russia offered the US to join forces in the implementation of manned programs. By that time, Russia had a 25-year history of operation of the Salyut and Mir orbital stations, as well as invaluable experience in conducting long-term flights, research, and a developed space infrastructure. But by 1991, the country was in a difficult economic situation. At the same time, the creators of the Freedom orbital station (USA) also experienced financial difficulties.
On March 15, 1993, the general director of the Roscosmos agency, Yu.N. Koptev and General Designer of NPO Energia Yu.P. Semenov approached the head of NASA, Goldin, with a proposal to create the International Space Station.
September 2, 1993 Prime Minister Russian Federation Viktor Chernomyrdin and US Vice President Al Gore signed a "Joint Statement on Cooperation in Space", which provided for the creation of a joint station. On November 1, 1993, the "Detailed work plan for the International Space Station" was signed, and in June 1994, a contract between NASA and Roscosmos "On supplies and services for the Mir station and the International Space Station" was signed.
The initial stage of construction provides for the creation of a functionally complete plant structure from a limited number of modules. The first to be launched into orbit by the Proton-K launch vehicle was the Zarya functional cargo block (1998), made in Russia. The shuttle was delivered by the second ship and docked with the functional cargo block the American docking module Node-1 - "Unity" (December 1998). The third was the Russian service module Zvezda (2000), which provides station control, life support for the crew, station orientation and orbit correction. The fourth is the American laboratory module "Destiny" (2001).
The first prime crew of the ISS, who arrived at the station on November 2, 2000 on the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft: William Shepherd (USA), ISS commander, flight engineer-2 of the Soyuz-TM-31 spacecraft; Sergey Krikalev (Russia), Soyuz-TM-31 flight engineer; Yuri Gidzenko (Russia), ISS pilot, Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft commander.
The duration of the flight of the ISS-1 crew was about four months. Its return to Earth was carried out by the American Space Shuttle, which delivered the crew of the second main expedition to the ISS. The Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft remained a part of the ISS for half a year and served as a rescue ship for the crew working on board.
In 2001, the P6 power module was installed on the Z1 root segment, the Destiny laboratory module, the Quest airlock, the Pirs docking compartment, two cargo telescopic booms, and a remote manipulator were delivered into orbit. In 2002, the station was replenished with three truss structures (S0, S1, P6), two of which are equipped with transport devices for moving the remote manipulator and astronauts while working in outer space.
The construction of the ISS was suspended due to the crash of the American spacecraft Columbia on February 1, 2003, and in 2006 construction work was resumed.
In 2001 and twice in 2007, computers failed in the Russian and American segments. In 2006, smoke occurred in the Russian segment of the station. In autumn 2007, the station crew conducted repair work solar battery.
New sections of solar panels were delivered to the station. At the end of 2007, the ISS was replenished with two pressurized modules. In October, the Discovery shuttle STS-120 brought the Harmony Node-2 connection module into orbit, which became the main berth for the shuttles.
The European laboratory module Columbus was put into orbit on the Atlantis spacecraft STS-122 and, with the help of the manipulator of this spacecraft, was put into its regular place (February 2008). Then the Japanese Kibo module was introduced into the ISS (June 2008), its first element was delivered to the ISS by the Endeavor shuttle STS-123 (March 2008).
Prospects for the ISS
According to some pessimistic experts, the ISS is a waste of time and money. They believe that the station has not yet been built, but is already outdated.
However, in the implementation of a long-term program of space flights to the Moon or Mars, mankind cannot do without the ISS.
Since 2009, the permanent crew of the ISS will be increased to 9 people, and the number of experiments will increase. Russia has planned to conduct 331 experiments on the ISS in the coming years. The European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners have already built a new transport ship - the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), which will be launched into the base orbit (300 kilometers high) by the Ariane-5 ES ATV rocket, from where the ATV will go into orbit due to its engines ISS (400 kilometers above the Earth). The payload of this automatic ship with a length of 10.3 meters and a diameter of 4.5 meters is 7.5 tons. This will include experimental equipment, food, air and water for the ISS crew. The first of the ATV series (September 2008) was named "Jules Verne". After docking with the ISS in automatic mode, the ATV can work in its composition for six months, after which the ship is loaded with garbage and flooded in the Pacific Ocean in a controlled mode. It is planned to launch ATVs once a year, and at least 7 of them will be built in total. The Japanese H-II "Transfer Vehicle" (HTV) automatic truck, launched into orbit by the Japanese H-IIB launch vehicle, which is still being developed, will join the ISS program. . The total weight of the HTV will be 16.5 tons, of which 6 tons is the payload for the station. It will be able to stay docked to the ISS for up to one month.
Obsolete shuttles will be decommissioned in 2010, and the new generation will appear no earlier than 2014-2015.
By 2010, the Russian manned Soyuz will be modernized: first of all, they will replace the electronic control and communication systems, which will increase the ship's payload by reducing the weight of electronic equipment. The updated "Union" will be able to be part of the station for almost a year. The Russian side will build the Clipper spacecraft (according to the plan, the first test manned flight into orbit is in 2014, commissioning is in 2016). This six-seater reusable winged shuttle is conceived in two versions: with an aggregate-household compartment (ABO) or an engine compartment (DO). The Clipper, which has risen into space to a relatively low orbit, will be followed by the interorbital tug Parom. Ferry is a new development designed to replace the cargo Progresses over time. This tug should pull from the low reference orbit to the ISS orbit the so-called "containers", cargo "barrels" with a minimum of equipment (4-13 tons of cargo), launched into space with the help of Soyuz or Proton. The "Parom" has two docking stations: one for the container, the second - for mooring to the ISS. After the container is put into orbit, the ferry descends to it due to its propulsion system, docks with it and lifts it to the ISS. And after unloading the container, "Parom" lowers it into a lower orbit, where it undocks and slows down on its own to burn up in the atmosphere. The tug will have to wait for a new container to deliver it to the ISS.
RSC Energia official website: http://www.energia.ru/rus/iss/iss.html
The official website of the Boeing Corporation (Boeing): http://www.boeing.com
Mission Control Center official website: http://www.mcc.rsa.ru
Official website of the US National Aerospace Agency (NASA): http://www.nasa.gov
Official website of the European Space Agency (ESA): http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) official website: http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html
Official website of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA): http://www.space.gc.ca/index.html
Official website of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB):
The choice of some parameters of the International Space Station orbit is not always obvious. For example, the station can be located at an altitude of 280 to 460 kilometers, and because of this, it constantly experiences the braking effect of the upper atmosphere of our planet. Every day, the ISS loses about 5 cm/s of speed and 100 meters of altitude. Therefore, periodically it is necessary to raise the station, burning the fuel of ATV and Progress trucks. Why can't the station be raised higher to avoid these costs?
The range laid down during the design and the current real situation are dictated by several reasons at once. Every day, astronauts and cosmonauts receive high doses of radiation, and beyond the 500 km mark, its level rises sharply. And the limit for a six-month stay is set at only half a sievert, only a sievert is allocated for the entire career. Each sievert increases the risk of cancer by 5.5 percent.
On Earth, we are protected from cosmic rays by the radiation belt of our planet's magnetosphere and atmosphere, but they work weaker in near space. In some parts of the orbit (the South Atlantic anomaly is such a spot of increased radiation) and beyond it, strange effects can sometimes appear: flashes appear in closed eyes. These are cosmic particles passing through the eyeballs, other interpretations say that the particles excite the parts of the brain responsible for vision. This can not only interfere with sleep, but once again unpleasantly reminds you of high level radiation on the ISS.
In addition, the Soyuz and Progress, which are now the main crew change and supply ships, are certified to operate at an altitude of up to 460 km. The higher the ISS is, the less cargo can be delivered. The rockets that send new modules to the station will also be able to bring less. On the other hand, the lower the ISS, the more it slows down, that is, more of the delivered cargo must be fuel for the subsequent orbit correction.
Scientific tasks can be performed at an altitude of 400-460 kilometers. Finally, the position of the station is affected by space debris - failed satellites and their debris, which have a huge speed relative to the ISS, which makes a collision with them fatal.
There are resources on the Web that allow you to monitor the parameters of the orbit of the International Space Station. You can get relatively accurate current data, or track their dynamics. At the time of this writing, the ISS was at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers.
The elements located at the rear of the station can accelerate the ISS: these are Progress trucks (most often) and ATVs, if necessary, the Zvezda service module (extremely rare). In the illustration, a European ATV is working before the kata. The station is raised often and little by little: the correction occurs about once a month in small portions of the order of 900 seconds of engine operation, the Progress uses smaller engines so as not to greatly affect the course of experiments.
The engines can turn on once, thus increasing the flight altitude on the other side of the planet. Such operations are used for small ascents, since the eccentricity of the orbit changes.
A correction with two inclusions is also possible, in which the second inclusion smoothes the station's orbit to a circle.
Some parameters are dictated not only by scientific data, but also by politics. It is possible to give the spacecraft any orientation, but at launch it will be more economical to use the speed that the rotation of the Earth gives. Thus, it is cheaper to launch the device into an orbit with an inclination equal to the latitude, and maneuvers will require additional fuel consumption: more for moving towards the equator, less for moving towards the poles. An ISS orbital inclination of 51.6 degrees may seem odd: NASA spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral traditionally have an inclination of about 28 degrees.
When the location of the future ISS station was discussed, it was decided that it would be more economical to give preference to the Russian side. Also, such orbital parameters allow you to see more of the Earth's surface.
But Baikonur is at a latitude of approximately 46 degrees, so why is it common for Russian launches to have an inclination of 51.6 degrees? The fact is that there is a neighbor to the east who will not be too happy if something falls on him. Therefore, the orbit is tilted to 51.6 °, so that during launch, no parts of the spacecraft could under any circumstances fall on China and Mongolia.
