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International Space Station as of June 2007

The International Space Station (ISS) has been assembled in stages by 25 Shuttle missions from November, 1998 to June 2007.  The station has become the largest, most sophisticated and most powerful spacecraft ever built. It grew from a 70-ton, efficiency apartment-sized foothold in orbit to a space laboratory of unprecedented capability— a 150-ton orbiting complex with more volume than a three-bedroom house. The International Space Station is orbiting at an average altitude of 240 statute miles (385 km). Sighting opportunities from the ground for many cities around the world can be viewed at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

The appearance of the ISS as it has grown can be seen on this NASA Web page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_assembly.html

The functions of the various ISS modules are explained on this NASA Web page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure