.
Since the creation of NASA and the completion of the Apollo 11 mission, monumental advancement in space-related technology has been made. One example of this is the International Space Station that is orbiting our globe. President Reagan initiated the International Space Station, or ISS, in 1984. 14 years later its first segment was launched into space and the construction begun, adding many modules throughout the years. According to the ISS historical timeline on the Center for the Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS) website, many countries have added their own modules including the United States, Russia, Japan, and a European lab with many different countries. Astronauts from all over the world live in the ISS for extended periods of time and perform various studies. Charles Fishman's article '5,200 Days in Space' explains how the astronauts live and what they do on the ISS. Fishman says "Since the station's first components were launched, 216 men and women have lived there, and NASA has learned a lot about how to live in space-about the difference between rocketing into zero‑G for two weeks and settling in for months at a time". The ISS can prepare humans for what life is like in space in case space travel ever becomes a common occurrence, which it likely will. It may seem expensive, but Fishman states that the cost to run and sustain the ISS is on par with the amount it costs to run a single US aircraft carrier. While it is still expensive to a degree, this puts the cost into perspective, especially considering that the US has eleven active aircraft carriers according to former Navy Captain Marty Erdossy. The ISS is a remarkable tool that allows humans to exist in outer space for extended periods of time and take studies of how and why our bodies behave in the conditions outside of our atmosphere, preparing us for possible space exploration in the near future.
