🪐 On November 20, 1998, a Proton-K rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome successfully propelled the Russian-made Zarya functional cargo block (FCB) into space, marking the inception of the International Space Station (ISS). A few weeks later, on December 7, this module was joined in orbit by the American Unity node module, transported by the Endeavor space shuttle during the STS-88 mission.

🇷🇺🇺🇸🇩🇰🇯🇵 Since November 2, 2000, long-term expedition crews have continuously staffed the International Space Station. Presently, the 70th long-term expedition is underway, comprising cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov from Roscosmos State Corporation, NASA astronauts Jasmine Moghbeli and Laural O'Hara, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. This diverse team conducts scientific research and experiments aboard the station.

🚀 Roscosmos reported 275 launches during the ISS's construction and operational phases. This number includes 115 human-crewed missions, with Russia's Soyuz contributing 68 flights, America's shuttles providing 37, and the Crew Dragon from the US accounting for 10.

👨‍🚀 Astronauts and cosmonauts have embarked on 269 spacewalks from the ISS, 198 using American spacesuits and 71 using Russian gear.

💭 The ISS has been the site of 337 docking and re-docking operations, 190 and 147 of which were performed in its Russian and American sections, respectively. Additionally, the station's orbit has undergone 350 corrections, involving 196 interventions by Russia’s Progress ships, 53 by American shuttles, 40 by the Russian Zvezda service module, 39 by ATV crafts, 17 by the Russian Zarya functional cargo block, and 5 by the US' Cygnus ships.

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