A space station is a place where people can live and work in space for long periods. It orbits the Earth, usually about 200 to 300 miles  ( 322 to 483 km) high. A space station may serve as an observatory, laboratory, factory, workshop, warehouse, and fuel depot. Space stations are much larger than manned spacecraft, so they provide more comforts. Manned spacecraft may transport people between the Earth and the space station. Unmanned spacecraft may supply the station with food, water, equipment, and mail.

Small space stations can be built on the Earth and launched into orbit by large rockets. Larger stations are assembled in space. Rockets or space shuttles carry modules or sections of the station into space, where astronauts assemble them. Old modules can be replaced and new modules can be added to expand the station.

A space station has at least one docking port to which a visiting spacecraft can attach itself. Most docking ports consist of a rimmed doorway called a hatch that can connect with a hatch on the visiting spacecraft to form an airtight seal. When the two hatches open, they form a pressurized tunnel between the station and the visiting spacecraft.

The main tasks of a space station crew involve scientific research. For example, they might analyze the effects of microgravity on various materials, investigate the Earth’s surface, or study the stars and planets.

Astronauts at a space station also devote much of their time to the assembly of equipment and the expansion of the station’s facilities. This includes erecting beams, connecting electrical and gas lines, and welding permanent joints between sections of the station. The crew must also repair or replace broken equipment.

Both the United States and the Soviet Union have had space station experience.  The U.S. launched a station called Skylab in 1973.  It was used for a short period of time.

In the 1970-1990's, the Soviet Union operated a series of stations called Salyut.  A station called Mir is currently orbiting Earth.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan authorized the building of a large, permanent space station, Freedom. In 1993, NASA redesigned the proposed station to reduce the cost and amount of time it would take to build. The United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, and the European Space Agency (ESA) became partners in a program to build the redesigned space station, International Space Station.

The United States will provide much of the structural framework of the station, including the main support structure and many of the solar panels. The U.S. will also provide a laboratory module for scientific work and a habitation module to serve as living quarters for a six person crew. Russia will provide three research modules and a service module for various housekeeping and life-support functions. Japan and the European Space Agency plan to build laboratory modules for the station. Canada will provide a robot arm for the station. Italy plans to provide a pressurized module.

The International Space Station will serve as a major international laboratory for scientific research. More than 30 flights of the U.S. Space Shuttle and Russian launch vehicles will be necessary to complete the station in space. The first component parts have already been assembled in space and the first crews have visited the International Space Station.

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