Trending

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

This is the last photo that the Israeli moon lander named "Beresheet" took before it crashed into the surface of the moon in a failed landing attempt last week. At the time, the spacecraft was about 9 miles (15 kilometers) above the lunar surface, just a few moments before mission control lost contact with the spacecraft.

Image of the Day

By Hanneke Weitering

This is the last photo that the Israeli moon lander named "Beresheet" took before it crashed into the surface of the moon in a failed landing attempt last week.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch arrived at the International Space Station in March and will remain there for nearly a year.

Second NASA Astronaut to Spend Nearly a Year in Space — For Science

By Meghan Bartels

NASA's next long-duration spaceflight mission has already begun, and doctors are excited about what it could teach them.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus NG-11 cargo ship launches from Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia on April 17, 2019.

Antares Rocket Launches Cygnus Cargo Ship on Marathon Mission for NASA

By Tariq Malik

Northrop Grumman launched an Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus cargo ship filled with NASA goodies for space station astronauts today (April 17).

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, as seen on board the International Space Station on April 8, 2019, will set a new record for the longest single space mission by a woman at 328 days.

Breaking Records: How Astronaut Christina Koch's Extended Space Mission Will Make History

By Robert Z. Pearlman

Christina Koch has a(n out-of-this) world record in her future.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 lifts off from Cap Canaveral

Blastoff! How to See a Rocket Launch In Person This Year

By Sarah Lewin

It's not just for the pros: With a little planning and flexibility, anybody can go watch a rocket blast off. Our in-depth guide goes through each of this year's U.S. launch locations and dates.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, currently aboard the International Space Station as an Expedition 59 flight engineer, will now stay in space for nearly a year for a historic record-setting mission.

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Will Spend Nearly a Year in Space

By Meghan Bartels

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to break a record on her first spaceflight, the agency announced yesterday (April 16).

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket with a Cygnus spacecraft, as seen at sunrise on April 16, 2019, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

You Can Watch a Cygnus Cargo Ship Launch to the Space Station Today! Here's How

By Chelsea Gohd

This launch is one you won't want to miss.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus NG-11 cargo ship is raised into launch position atop Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia on April 16, 2019.

Tiny Robots, Wearable Tech and More Weird Science Will Launch to Space Station Wednesday

By Chelsea Gohd

Two little robots, wearable tech and more weird science will launch to the International Space Station in a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Christina Koch and Nick Hague conduct spacesuit maintenance in the Quest airlock of the International Space Station. Like most Americans on Earth, astronauts has to file their taxes for 2018 by April 15, 2019.

Tax Day 2019 Reaches Astronauts in Space, Too

By Hanneke Weitering

For U.S. citizens, there's no escaping Tax Day — not even if you've left planet Earth.

The Rodent Habitat module has been on the International Space Station since 2014. Here, it's shown with both doors held open.

Of Mice and Microgravity: How Spacefaring Rodents Adapt to Life in Space (Video)

By Charles Q. Choi

Mice on Earth may like running in wheels, but mice in space apparently take advantage of the microgravity to run in circles by bouncing off the walls.

An investigation of microbes and fungi taken from the space station reveals microorganisms similar to those found in busy public spaces on Earth.

There Are Bacteria and Fungi All Over the Space Station, and Now We Know What They Are

By Elizabeth Howell

Just like on Earth, there is a robust population of bacteria and fungi on the International Space Station (ISS) — and a new study catalogues its exact composition.

null

This Week's Top Space Stories!

By Doris Elin Salazar

Scott and Mark Kelly (Mark at left) at a press event in 2015 before Scott's nearly yearlong stay on the International Space Station. Researchers carefully tracked both twins over the course of the mission and afterward to observe how Scott's body and capabilities changed due to spaceflight.

Landmark NASA Twins Study Reveals Space Travel's Effects on the Human Body

By Sarah Lewin

A year on the space station has an undeniable impact across the human body, but many of the body's systems recover after a return to Earth.

A composite image of five shots of the International Space Station as it passed in front of the moon on March 16, 2019.

Watch the International Space Station Photobomb the Moon in These Awesome NASA Views

By Samantha Mathewson

The International Space Station stands out against the lunar backdrop in a series of stunning new photos from NASA.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Christina Koch and Nick Hague show off their homemade pizza dinner on April 5, 2019.

Astronauts Whipped Up a Pizza Dinner to Prep for Spacewalk (And It Looks Tasty)

By Meghan Bartels

Make-your-own pizza is a dinner classic for a reason — and the meal's appeal holds in space, too.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain (left) and Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques (right) conducted a 6.5-hour spacewalk on April 8, 2019.

Spacewalking Astronauts Battle Stuck Panel, Wrangle Cables on Space Station

By Elizabeth Howell

Two spacewalking astronauts completed their work on time today (April 8), despite a stubborn panel on the International Space Station that added several minutes of troubleshooting to their tasks.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain took her first spacewalk on March 22, 2019.

Watch 2 Astronauts Take a Spacewalk Outside the International Space Station Today!

By Meghan Bartels

If you've got a case of the Mondays, NASA is here to help: the agency will be broadcasting live as two astronauts climb outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk today.

Cosmonaut Nikolay Chub and astronauts Nicole Stott, Cady Coleman, Leland Melvin and Tony Antonelli (left to right) lead the Beyond the Cradle 2019 event finale on March 14, 2019.

Astronauts Hope to Share Space Experience with All Earthlings, Panel Says

By Sarah Wells

Going to space is hard, but a panel of astronauts say communication, community and art can make it a little bit easier.

David Saint-Jacques snapped this photo from the International Space Station April 4 of the launch trail left by the Progress 72 cargo spacecraft.

Wow! Astronaut Spots Cargo Ship Launch from Space Station (Photo)

By Sarah Lewin

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques snapped a photo of a Russian cargo spacecraft's zigzag launch trail from the International Space Station this morning (April 4).

A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying the uncrewed Progress 72 cargo ship launches toward the International Space Station on April 4, 2019 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Russian Cargo Ship Launches on Superfast Trip to Space Station

By Tariq Malik

A new Russian Progress cargo ship chased the International Space Station on a superfast mission today (April 4) after a flawless liftoff atop its Soyuz rocket