International Space Station - Station Structure

Station Structure

The ISS follows Salyut and Almaz series, Cosmos 557, Skylab, and Mir as the 11th space station launched, as the Genesis prototypes were never intended to be manned. The ISS is a third generation modular space station.

Other examples of modular station projects include the Soviet/Russian Mir, Russian OPSEK, and Chinese space station. The first space station, Salyut 1, and other one-piece or 'monolithic' first generation space stations, such as Salyut 2,3,4,5, DOS 2, Kosmos 557, Almaz and NASA's Skylab stations were not designed for re-supply. Generally, each crew had to depart the station to free the only docking port for the next crew to arrive, Skylab had more than one docking port but was not designed for resupply. Salyut 6 and 7 had more than one docking port and were designed to be resupplied routinely during crewed operation. Modular stations can allow the mission to be changed over time and new modules can be added or removed from the existing structure, allowing greater flexibility.

Below is a diagram of major station components. The blue areas are pressurised sections accessible by the crew without using spacesuits. The station's unpressurised superstructure is indicated in red. Other unpressurised components are yellow. Note that the Unity node joins directly to the Destiny laboratory. For clarity, they are shown apart.

Russian
docking port
Solar
array
Zvezda DOS-8
Service Module
Solar
array
Russian
docking port
Poisk(MRM-2)
Airlock
Pirs
Airlock
Russian
docking port
Nauka lab to
Replace Pirs
European
Robotic Arm
Solar
array
Zarya FGB
(first module)
Solar
array
Leonardo
cargo bay
Rassvet
(MRM-1)
Russian
docking port
PMA 1
Quest
Airlock
Unity
Node 1
Tranquility
Node 3
PMA 3
docking port
ESP-2 Cupola
Solar array Solar array Heat
Radiator
Heat
Radiator
Solar array Solar array
ELC 2, AMS Z1 truss ELC 3
S5/6 Truss S3/S4 Truss S1 Truss S0 Truss P1 Truss P3/P4 Truss P5/6 Truss
ELC 4, ESP 3 ELC 1
Dextre Canadarm2
Solar array Solar array Solar array Solar array
External
stowage
Destiny
Laboratory
Kibō logistics
Cargo Bay
HTV/Dragon berth
(docking port)
HTV/Dragon berth
(docking port)
Kibō
Robotic Arm
External
Payloads
Columbus
Laboratory
Harmony
(Node 2)
Kibō
Laboratory
Kibō
External Platform
PMA 2
docking port

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