Overview
    Space stations are habitable enclosure for spending long periods of time in space (In a sense, it is another home to astronauts out in space). Due to the special characteristics (weightlessness, high-vacuum, strong radiation, highly clean and highly solar-powered) of the environment it provides, a space station is the optimum choice to carry out space activities. Space stations can be used for observing the Earth and space, and for carrying out scientific experiments and engineering processes in the conditions of weightlessness and the high-vacuum environment that exist in space.

   Necessities such as food, scientific devices and even new cosmonauts in the space stations must be replenished regularly. This is done with the aid of transport space shuttles such as the Russian's shuttle M35. However, the docking of a space shuttle requires absolute accuracy and therefore involves great risks. For instance, on 20 August, 1997, astronomers encountered a new problem just 20 minutes before the planned joining of the shuttle M35 and Russian space station Mir - due to some technical error occurred to the computer in Mir, the solar panel was facing away from the sun and was unable to obtain adequate power for the docking. Fortunately, they fixed the problem in time and completed the joining after changing the shuttle into manual control mode.

We shall now look at the major space stations in air by nations.

United States|Soviet|Europe
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