International Space Station

The International Space Station is a $100 billion research outpost in low-Earth orbit. It was built by 15 different countries and overseen by 5 space agencies, among them NASA, Russia's Roscosmos agency, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Construction began in 1998 and rotating astronaut crews have lived on the ISS continuously since 2000. Today, the ISS is the largest human-built structure in space. See the latest news, photos and videos from ISS missions here.

Related Topics: Falcon Heavy, Incredible Space Tech, NASA, SpaceX, Interstellar Travel

Latest Updates

A rocket launching into a blue sky.

Russian Progress cargo spacecraft launched to the ISS on Dec. 1

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

A Russian cargo spacecraft blasted off from Kazakhstan on Dec. 1 for a flight to the International Space Station.

a trail of fire can be seen against a black background

ISS astronauts watch Russian cargo ship burn up in Earth's atmosphere (photos)

By Brett Tingley published

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli watched Russia's Progress MS-23 cargo ship burn up in Earth's atmosphere just hours after it undocked from the International Space Station.

Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky shared this photo of the International Space Station on Twitter on Sept. 29, 2021. He and two colleagues were relocating a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from one port to another at the time.

International Space Station: Live updates

By Elizabeth Howell published

Find out what's going on at the International Space Station.

a man and a woman smile. her arm is raised in the air.

Canada soars into space with new moon and ISS astronaut missions

By Elizabeth Howell published

'My mind just might explode.'

international space station seen through a spacecraft window

As the ISS turns 25, a look back at the space laboratory's legacy

By Conor Feehly published

Over 25 years, the ISS has taught us what it means to live and work in space.

a window view of earth. at right is a soyuz spacecraft. in the center are black socks near the window, with turkey feet on them

NASA astronaut celebrates Thanksgiving on ISS with turkey socks, Earth views

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara received new turkey socks for U.S. Thanksgiving on the International Space Station. Amid eating good food in orbit, she shared space views of her new duds.

a man in a black polo shirt holds a plush bear inside the international space station.

Denmark's comic strip bear Rasmus Klump takes a spin on the space station

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

Denmark's first astronaut, Andy Mogensen, marked the midpoint of his second mission on the ISS by comparing his zero-g skills against those of another Danish icon, Rasmus Klump.

four astronauts in red shirts pose for a video message in a space station full of electronic equipment and computers

Astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving in space! Here's what they'll eat and what they're thankful for (video)

By Robert Lea published

The crew of Expedition 70 are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving in space, explaining in a new video what they are thankful for before they sit down for an out-of-this-world Turkey Day meal.

an astronaut in a flight suit full of badges and stripes

Axiom Space astronaut Marcus Wandt says space is 'more real' thanks to private flights

By Elizabeth Howell published

Marcus Wandt was selected as a standby project astronaut in 2022. The European Space Agency now has a spot for him in space: the Axiom Space Ax-3 mission expected to fly in January 2024.

a sandy and far overhead view of land with water on the left

NASA astronaut sees her parents' birth country from space. 'This may be the closest I will ever get'

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli recently saw Iran from the International Space Station. Her parents fled the country in 1979 and she has been unable to visit it during her lifetime.

A view of the ISS above the Earth.

Quantum chemistry experiment on ISS creates exotic 5th state of matter

By Megan I. Gannon published

Researchers created a quantum gas containing two types of atoms on the ISS, in a first for space-based research.

an image with a bright glow in the middle and star streaks

Lost astronaut tool bag from ISS shines in new telescope image (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell published

Astronauts on the International Space Station harmlessly lost a tool bag during a spacewalk on Nov. 1. A new telescope image from Rome shows the stray bag shining among the stars.

a space station floats above Earth. one end is a round white cylinder; the other is a cross-shaped arrangement of solar panels

European Space Agency signs on to upcoming 'Starlab' space station

By Robert Lea published

The European Space Agency, Airbus and Voyager Space have signed an agreement for the Starlab commercial space station, which will provide a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit.

track the iss from Earth, this Photograph shows two silhouettes standing looking up at the sky, the one on the right is pointing up at the white streak of light across the sky. The white streak is the ISS as it flies overhead. Stars can be seen in the background.

Track the ISS: How and where to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference Track the International Space Station (ISS) from Earth and see where it is right now.

A white and black SpaceX Dragon CRS-29 docks in space with blue Earth blue

SpaceX Dragon cargo ship docks at ISS with laser experiment and more (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

A SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule arrived at the International Space Station early Saturday (Nov. 11) carrying tons of fresh supplies for the orbiting lab's astronaut crew.

a T-shaped space station floats above Earth

International Space Station dodges orbital debris hours before SpaceX cargo ship's arrival: report

By Elizabeth Howell published

The International Space Station moved away from space debris on Friday (Nov. 10), Russian space officials said, hours before a SpaceX cargo ship aims to arrive.

a white bag floats in space above Earth

Astronauts dropped a tool bag during an ISS spacewalk, and you can see it with binoculars

By Robert Lea published

It's an odd astronomy target, but a tool bag that gave astronauts the slip during a spacewalk at the International Space Station is surprisingly bright and can be seen with binoculars.

SpaceX's CRS-29 Dragon cargo spacecraft (at right) separates from the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket beginning its rendezvous with the International Space Station on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.

SpaceX launches its 29th cargo mission to the International Space Station

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched its 29th robotic cargo mission to the International Space Station on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.

a woman in space wears a vr headset while holding up a finger in the air

A VR headset that could help astronaut mental health is launching to ISS on SpaceX rocket this week

By Elizabeth Howell published

ISS commander Andreas Mogensen will be the first to use the HTC Vive Focus 3 for the experiment.

The SpaceX Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship will undock from the International Space Station's space-facing docking port on the Harmony module on Jan. 22, 2021.

Europe wants a private cargo spacecraft by 2028

By Andrew Jones published

The European Space Agency is looking to change the way it approaches space exploration and foster a commercial cargo return capability within five years.