This week marks six years of continuous crew operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
This week marks six years of continuous crew operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
This image of the ISS, as it lies backdropped against the Earth, was taken shortly after the Space Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the orbital outpost on Sept. 17, 2006, after completing six days of joint operations with the station crew. Atlantis left the station with a new, second pair of 240-foot solar wings, attached to a new 17.5-ton section of truss with batteries, electronics and a giant rotating joint. The new solar arrays will double the station’s onboard power when their electrical systems are brought online during the next shuttle flight, planned for launch in December 2006.Image credit: NASA