avaruusasemat

Avaruusasemat are stations or facilities constructed for human habitation and operation in outer space. These structures can serve various purposes, including scientific research, observation of celestial bodies, testing of spacecraft systems, and as staging points for longer space missions. The concept of space stations has evolved significantly since the initial pioneering efforts.

The first true space station was the Soviet Salyut 1, launched in 1971. This was followed by several other Salyut missions and the Almaz military space station program. The United States launched Skylab in 1973, which hosted three crews and conducted numerous scientific experiments. A significant milestone in international cooperation was the Mir space station, operated by the Soviet Union and later Russia, which was continuously inhabited for nearly a decade.

The most prominent current space station is the International Space Station (ISS), a collaborative project involving NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. The ISS serves as a microgravity laboratory where astronauts from various nations conduct research in fields such as biology, human physiology, physics, and astronomy. It has been continuously occupied since November 2000. Future space station concepts include commercial space stations envisioned by private companies, which could support tourism, manufacturing, and further research.