The International Space Station (ISS) is celebrating 16 years of space living. The station was built with the contribution of space agencies from 15 countries between 1998 and 2011. The first crew from the Russian Federation and the United States arrived in the station on 02 November 2000. According to ESA, the station weights almost 400 tonnes and has more than 820 cubic metres of pressurised space - enough room for its crew of six persons and a vast array of scientific experiments. More information from ESA about ISS here. The station orbits around the Earth roughly every 90 minutes. In recent years the Space Station has been fitted with high definition cameras that provide images of Earth. Crews in orbit can collect images of specific events on the planet as they unfold, which can contribute to disaster response efforts. For more images click here.
