

Indications include damage to the Canadarm 2 due to a hit by debris or a micrometeoroid (though the arm continues to function normally for now) and multiple cracks and leaks found along the interior of the Service Module Transfer Tunnel, which connects to one of the areas where the crew live and work. The study notes, however, that the station is starting to show its age. Since that time, the station has served as a key platform for scientific studies in fields ranging from human physiology in zero gravity to Earth observation, high-energy astrophysics, and much more. Space Shuttle Program in 2011 concluded the ISS's construction. See more here.īegun with the launch of the core Zarya module from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on November 20, 1998, the station has hosted a continuous human presence in space since the arrival of Expedition 1 on November 2, 2000.
International space station telescope update#
Update (February 3, 2022): The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to continuing station operations through 2030. The station is currently approved for operations through 2024, and an extension until 2030 seems likely. Specifically, the audit highlights the need to end NASA's role in the ISS by 2030. In our new report on the #ISS, we discuss the costs of operating the aging Station and examine risks associated with cracks and leaks in the Service Module Transfer Tunnel. The NASA Office of Inspector General released a report last week on the state of the International Space Station (ISS) and suggestions for the coming decade. The coming decade will see a time of transition when it comes to human spaceflight in low-Earth orbit. The International Space Station in orbit.
