International Space StationThe International Space Station (ISS) is a space station in low Earth orbit (LEO). It is the product of the International Space Station program and is operated by five partner space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). It is the first space station built, maintained and crewed through international cooperation and the largest human spacecraft ever constructed.
Space Station FreedomSpace Station Freedom was a NASA-led multi-national project proposed in the 1980s to construct a permanently crewed space station in low Earth orbit. Despite initial approval by President Ronald Reagan and a public announcement in the 1984 State of the Union Address, the ambitious project faced significant budget cuts and delays. Ultimately, a scaled-down version of Freedom evolved into the US Orbital Segment (USOS) of the International Space Station (ISS).
RoscosmosSpace agency of RussiaThe State Corporation for Space Activities, commonly known as Roscosmos (Роскосмос), is a state corporation of the Russian Federation responsible for space flights, cosmonautics programs, and aerospace research. Roscosmos inherited the bulk of the vast Soviet space program following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Rassvet (ISS module)Rassvet (Russian: Рассвет, lit.'first light'), also known as the Mini-Research Module 1 (MRM 1, Russian: Малый исследовательский модуль 1) and formerly known as the Docking Cargo Module, is a component of the International Space Station (ISS). The module's design is similar to the Mir Docking Module launched on STS-74 in 1995. Rassvet is primarily used for cargo storage and as a docking port for visiting spacecraft.
Poisk (ISS module)Poisk (Russian: Поиск, lit.'Search'), also known as the Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2, Russian: Малый исследовательский модуль 2), is a docking module of the International Space Station (ISS). Added in 2009, Poisk was the first major Russian addition to the International Space Station since 2001. Poisk is overall the same design as the docking module Pirs.
European Space AgencyEuropean organisation dedicated to space explorationThe European Space Agency (ESA; pronounced ) is a 23-member international organisation devoted to space exploration. It has its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 3,000 people globally as of 2025. ESA was founded in 1975 in the context of European integration. Its 2026 annual budget was around €8.3 billion.
NASAAmerican space and aeronautics agencyThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program, as well as research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the US and is organized into three mission directorates: Human Spaceflight, Research and Technology, and Science.
Mir-2Mir-2 was a Sovietspace station project which began in February 1976. Some of the modules built for Mir-2 have been incorporated into the International Space Station (ISS). The project underwent many changes, but was always based on the DOS-8 base block space station core module, built as a back-up to the DOS-7 base block used in the Mir station. The DOS-8 base block was eventually used as the Zvezda module of the ISS.
United StatesCountry primarily in North AmericaThe United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
Collier TrophyHerbert Hoover presents the 1929 Collier Trophy to NACA Chairman Joseph Ames for the NACA cowling.The Robert J. Collier Trophy is awarded annually "for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year".
Kibō (ISS module)Kibō (Japanese: きぼう; lit.'Hope'), also known as the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station (ISS) developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS pressurized module by volume, attached to the Harmony module, and the second largest space station module ever, after Skylab's core. The first two pieces of the module were launched on Space Shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124.
RussiaRussia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world, spanning eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. With a population of over 140 million, Russia is the most populous country in Europe and the ninth-most populous in the world. It is a highly urbanised country, with three-fourths of its population living in urban areas.
Lists of space programsA space program is an organized effort by a government or a company with a goal related to outer space.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.