The International Space Station (ISS) commemorates a remarkable milestone this weekend, celebrating 25 years of uninterrupted human presence in orbit. Since its first full-time occupants arrived on November 2, 2000, the station has hosted nearly 300 visitors, including professional astronauts, space tourists, and filmmakers.
Launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket on October 31, 2000, the initial crew comprised NASA“s Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko. They arrived at the station, which at the time was a cramped, three-room module, two days later. During their nearly five-month stay, they made significant improvements to the station”s livability. Shepherd, who retired from NASA in 2002, noted that despite tense U.S.-Russia relations, personal interactions and collaborations between the two nations remain strong.
According to NASA, a total of 290 individuals from 26 countries have visited the ISS, with seven currently onboard from the U.S., Russia, and Japan. Most of these visitors traveled to the station through their national space programs. However, the first private individual to visit was California businessman Dennis Tito, who flew with the Russians in 2001 despite NASA”s objections. As interest in space tourism grows, NASA has begun embracing private missions, allowing crews to visit for two-week stints.
Recent missions have included astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, accompanied by the station”s first female commander, Peggy Whitson, who emphasized that “space brings people together.”
While operations aboard the ISS may seem routine, they are anything but, as noted by former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. The station has faced numerous challenges, including a spacewalk that nearly resulted in drowning, a docking incident that caused the station to spin uncontrollably, and ongoing issues with air leaks and space debris. Shepherd expressed amazement at how the station continues to function well beyond its intended lifespan.
Life aboard the ISS has improved significantly since the early days. Shepherd compared it to a “four-star hotel,” highlighting the expanded accommodations that now include a glassed-in observation dome and internet access for astronauts. The station, now the size of a football field, has also seen the introduction of experimental hothouses that produce crops like chile peppers and zinnias, as well as attempts to use an espresso machine and a cookie-baking oven, though amenities such as showers and laundry services remain unavailable.
Astronauts have experienced both personal milestones and challenges while aboard the ISS. Some have celebrated marriages and births from space, while others have faced tragic events, such as the death of a crew member”s mother in an accident. In a notable case, astronaut Scott Kelly had to cope with the shooting of his sister-in-law, U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, during his mission. Additionally, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams found themselves stranded for over nine months due to delays with Boeing”s Starliner capsule.
Over the years, the ISS has hosted thousands of scientific experiments, including medical studies that gained urgency after an astronaut discovered a blood clot during a mission. NASA has also conducted a significant study involving identical twins, Scott and Mark Kelly, to investigate the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body.
Looking ahead, NASA plans to decommission the ISS by early 2031, with SpaceX contracted to facilitate its reentry. Before that, Axiom Space is set to remove a module intended for its own space station project. Other private entities are also developing their orbital concepts, as NASA aims to maintain a continuous human presence in space.
