For more than 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously onboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth that will enable long-duration exploration into deep space and benefit life here on our planet. A global endeavor, 240 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research investigations from over 4,200 researchers in more than 100 countries.
The International Space Station National Laboratory is a public service in order to benefit the U.S. taxpayer and to foster a scalable and sustainable low Earth orbit economy. By leveraging their core competencies, they facilitate public-private partnerships and utilize the platform capabilities and unique operating environment of the space station. They create demand, incubate in-space business ventures, provide access to and awareness of fundamental science and technological innovation, and promote science literacy in the future workforce.
