International Space Station Book

Describes the history and ongoing construction of the International Space Station, as well as the effects on the human body of extended stays there.

Sue Reichard - Children's Literature

The quest for conquering space has helped to make former enemies friends. The International Space Station is now helping to bring many countries together. In 1971 the Russians successfully placed a space habitat into orbit. In 1973, the United States also launched its space habitat called Skylab. American astronauts broke a world record for manned space flight by living on the station for 171 days. 1986 was the year that Russia sent a second station named Mir into orbit. By the end of the 1980's the Russian government was falling apart and had no money to spend on space so by 1995 the two countries had decided to work together in space on the International Space Station. Since that time, many Russian and American astronauts have lived and worked together on the space station. There are now 16 countries that are involved in building parts for the space station. Some of these countries are Canada, Japan, Brazil and Russia. The astronauts work together to complete many experiments and try to learn how a human being can live for a prolonged period of time in weightlessness. The space station itself also has problems from aging. Parts need to be replaced often and it is an expensive experiment. Scientists believe, however, that the space station of the future will allow humans to begin a journey that will lead to the exploration of the universe. The end notes include a glossary and index. This is a good resource for classrooms and library media centers. 2004, Birchbark Press, Ages 9 to 12.