International Space Station 20th Anniversary: First Elements Launch informs readers about the work to develop and construct the International Space Station (ISS); the space community and its partnerships; the not-so-standard challenges; laboratory experiments and research; the program managers who have led the ISS mission and its people; the future in low-Earth orbit and commercial spaceflight; and much more is organized into one publication about the ISS’ 20 years in service of science and discovery.
In his 1984 State of the Union speech, President Ronald Reagan stated: “I am directing NASA to develop a permanently manned space station and to do it within a decade. … NASA will invite other countries to participate so we can strengthen peace, build prosperity, and expand freedom for all who share our goals.”
The ISS is a consortium of the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, and the 12-member nations of the European Space Agency.
