International Space Station Russian space station called OPSEK. The ISS is the ninth space station to be inhabited by crews, following the Soviet and later Russian "Salyut", "Almaz", and "Mir" stations as well as "Skylab" from the US. The station has been continuously occupied for since the arrival of Expedition 1 on 2 November 2000. This is the longest continuous human presence in low Earth orbit, having surpassed the previous record of held by "Mir". It has been visited by astronauts, cosmonauts and space tourists from 17 different nations. After the American Space Shuttle programme ended in 2011, Soyuz rockets became the only
International Space Station core of the cancelled Mir-2 space station, the hull of "Zvezda" was completed in February 1985, with major internal equipment installed by October 1986. The module was launched by a Proton-K rocket from Site 81/23 at Baikonur, on 12 July 2000. "Zvezda" is at the rear of the station according to its normal direction of travel and orientation, and its engines may be used to boost the station's orbit. Alternatively Russian and European spacecraft can dock to "Zvezda" aft port and use their engines to boost the station. Destiny, also known as the U.S. Lab, is the primary research facility