From the first space station, the Soviet Union’s Salyut, in 1971, to the International Space Station (ISS) still circling Earth, these bastions provide safe harbor for human — and plant, insect and rodent — adventurers beyond our atmosphere.
In a nutshell, space station science revolves around what the station largely lacks: gravity. Decades into the space era, we’re still figuring out the harm and help that microgravity can offer, from bone loss in astronauts to ink flow in pens and printers.
Stations also let us test technology longer than the two weeks at a time the space shuttle program could manage. That’s a necessity before we take the long trip to Mars and beyond. And solving space’s challenges can also benefit life back on terra firma: For instance, research into astronaut bone loss can help non-space farers with osteoporosis.
The CUPOLA is the observation area. From seven windows, crew members can help control the station’s robotic arms, or just brush up on their photography skills.
