Research in Space: Facilities on the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is an unprecedented achievement in global human endeavors to conceive, plan, build, operate, and utilize a research platform in space. As we near completion of the ISS on-orbit assembly, including all Partner laboratories and elements, we now turn to the real multifaceted purpose of the ISS. We will use the ISS as a human-tended laboratory in low-Earth orbit to conduct multidiscipline research and technology development and as an outpost to conduct human exploration. The ISS is uniquely capable of unraveling the mysteries of life on Earth; from biomedical research, to material sciences, to technology advancement, to research on the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body. The ISS is the first step in exploration, from research and discovery, to international cooperation, to commercial development, and to exploring beyond low-Earth orbit. We look forward to sharing this booklet outlining our ISS research capabilities and potential as we usher in this new phase of on-orbit research.