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Definition: space station from Philip's Encyclopedia

Orbiting structure in space for use by astronauts and scientists. Space stations are more spacious than most space craft as the occupants may live there for several months before returning to Earth. Space laboratories, such as the American Skylab (launched 1972) and the Russian Mir (launched 1986), are space stations built for scientists to carry out experiments, study the Solar System, and observe distant parts of the Universe, their view undistorted by the Earth's atmosphere. The International Space Station (ISS) became operational in 2000.

space station

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
or space platform, artificial earth satellite, usually manned, that is placed in a fixed orbit and can serve as a base for astronomical observations; zero-gravity materials processing; satellite assembly, refueling, and repair; or, possibly, as weapons platforms. The first space station was the Soviet Salyut 1 , launched in Apr., 1971. The Soyuz 10 spacecraft docked with this station, but the crew did not enter it; two months later the cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz 11 spacecraft docked and entered Salyut 1 , remaining aboard for 22 days. By 1982 five more Salyut space stations had been orbited successfully, two of them for military purposes. By rotating the crews regularly, the Soviets were able to staff the stations for extended periods. All the Salyut space stations have decayed and are no longer in orbit. During this period the United States launched its only true space station. Called Skylab , it was placed in orbit in May, 1973. Skylab housed three three-person crews, the last…
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A view of the station showing the Japanese...
The International Space Station (ISS) program is an international collaboration of the U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia, each of which is expected to provide modules and equipment designed to support a crew of up to six for at least 15 years. The ISS will be the largest structure ever built…
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Full text Article space station

From Astronomy Encyclopedia
Large orbiting structure with substantial living and working accommodation which is designed to be permanently or intermittently manned. Space stations have many potential roles. These include experimental and observational work in the pure sciences (astronomy, physics, life sciences); environmental…
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Full text Article space station

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
or space platform, artificial earth satellite, usually manned, that is placed in a fixed orbit and can serve as a base for astronomical observations; zero-gravity materials processing; satellite assembly, refueling, and repair; or, possibly, as weapons platforms. The first space station was the…
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Full text Article space station

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Soviet/Russian space station Mir, after...
Manned artificial structure designed to revolve in a fixed orbit as a long-term base for astronomical observations, study of Earth’s resources and environment, military reconnaissance, and investigations of materials and biological systems in weightless conditions. As of 2001, nine space stations…
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Full text Article space station

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy
This photograph of the International Space...
A space station is an orbiting space system that is designed to accommodate long-term human habitation in space. The concept of people living and working in artificial habitats in outer space appeared in 19th-century science fiction literature in stories such as Edward Everett Hale's “Brick Moon” …
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Full text Article space station

From Collins Dictionary of Astronomy
An orbiting space laboratory, with a lifetime of several years or more, on which people can live and work in controlled but weightless conditions. Crews are ferried to and from the station and remain on board either for short periods or on a continuous or near continuous rota basis. The first Soviet…
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Full text Article International Space Station (ISS)

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Space station assembled from modules in Earth orbit largely by the U.S. and Russia, with assistance and components from a multinational consortium. The project, which began as a U.S. effort, was long delayed by funding and technical problems. Originally called Freedom in the 1980s, it was redesigned…
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Full text Article International Space Station

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Space station in low Earth orbit used for scientific and space research. Its construction was a collaboration between the USA, the Russian Federation, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and the European Space Agency. The first component was launched in 1998 and 12 additional modular units have since been…
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International Space Station Seen from theh pace...
SPACE STATION , which when completed in 2006 - budgets, schedule and technology permitting - will be a space superlative, measuring 111.32 m (365 ft) from end to end. The space station was originally given the go-ahead in 1984, in response to the Soviet Union permanent presence in orbit. This US…
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Full text Article INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, APRIL 2010

From The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Sunita Williams, an American astronaut and U.S. Navy officer, holds the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman. She began her astronaut training in 1998, after which she worked in Moscow with the Russian Space Agency. After 2008, she served as NASA's deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. She…
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