Space station
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A '''space station''' (or '''orbital station''') is a [[spacecraft]] which remains [[orbital spaceflight|in orbit]] and [[human spaceflight|hosts humans]] for extended periods of time. It is therefore an [[artificial satellite]] featuring [[space habitat (facility)|habitation facilities]]. The purpose of maintaining a space station varies depending on the program. Most often space stations have been [[research station]]s, but they have also served [[militarization of space|military]] or [[commercialization of space|commercial uses]], such as hosting [[space tourism|space tourists]]. |
A '''space station''' (or '''orbital station''') is a [[spacecraft]] which remains [[orbital spaceflight|in orbit]] and [[human spaceflight|hosts humans]] for extended periods of time. It is therefore an [[artificial satellite]] featuring [[space habitat (facility)|habitation facilities]]. The purpose of maintaining a space station varies depending on the program. Most often space stations have been [[research station]]s, but they have also served [[militarization of space|military]] or [[commercialization of space|commercial uses]], such as hosting [[space tourism|space tourists]]. |
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Space stations have been hosting the only continuous [[human presence in space|presence of humans in space]]. The first space station was [[Salyut 1]] (1971), |
Space stations have been hosting the only continuous [[human presence in space|presence of humans in space]]. The first space station was [[Salyut 1]] (1971), which hosted the first crew of the ill-fated [[Soyuz 11]]. Consecutively space stations have been operated since [[Skylab]] (1973) and occupied since 1987 with the [[Salyut program|Salyut]] successor [[Mir]]. Uninterrupted human presence in orbital space through space stations has been sustained since the operational transition from the Mir to the [[International Space Station]] (ISS), with the latter's first occupation in 2000. |
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Since 2022 there are two fully operational space stations – the ISS, occupied since [[Expedition 1]] in October 2000, and [[Chinese space program|China]]'s [[Tiangong Space Station|''Tiangong'' Space Station]] (TSS), occupied since June 2022 with the [[Shenzhou 14]] mission. The highest number of people at the same time on one space station has been 13, first achieved with the eleven day docking to the ISS of [[STS-127|the 127th]] [[Space Shuttle]] mission in 2009. The record for most people on all space stations at the same time has been 17, first reached on May 30, 2023, with 11 people on the ISS and 6 on the TSS.{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Stephen |title=Chinese astronaut launch breaks record for most people in orbit – Spaceflight Now |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/05/30/chinese-astronaut-launch-breaks-record-for-most-people-in-orbit/ |access-date=1 June 2023}} |
Since 2022 there are two fully operational space stations – the ISS, occupied since [[Expedition 1]] in October 2000, and [[Chinese space program|China]]'s [[Tiangong Space Station|''Tiangong'' Space Station]] (TSS), occupied since June 2022 with the [[Shenzhou 14]] mission. The highest number of people at the same time on one space station has been 13, first achieved with the eleven day docking to the ISS of [[STS-127|the 127th]] [[Space Shuttle]] mission in 2009. The record for most people on all space stations at the same time has been 17, first reached on May 30, 2023, with 11 people on the ISS and 6 on the TSS.{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Stephen |title=Chinese astronaut launch breaks record for most people in orbit – Spaceflight Now |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/05/30/chinese-astronaut-launch-breaks-record-for-most-people-in-orbit/ |access-date=1 June 2023}} |
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