25 Years on the International Space Station
November 2, 2025, marked a historic milestone: 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station.
A Momentous Milestone
This milestone has permanently redefined what is possible for exploration beyond the boundaries of Earth and stands as a foundational steppingstone in our quest to return to the Moon and onto Mars.
Learn MoreReflections on Decades of Innovation
For a quarter of a century, the space station has been a hub of scientific discovery, international partnership and technological innovation. It’s where humans from across the globe have come together to live and work in space, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Dive deeper into the stories, history, seemingly impossible achievements that have taken place across the last two-and-a-half decades and how the space station continues to propel us forward today.
Houston We Have A Podcast: Building the International Space Station
On episode 405, former ISS program manager and Axiom Space co-founder Michael Suffredini reflects on the ambitious path to building the International Space Station and the lessons learned from a decade of leadership.
Universo Curioso: 25 años de ciencia a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional
Diferentes tripulaciones de astronautas de la NASA y agencias espaciales socias han habitado la estación de forma ininterrumpida durante 25 años. Durante todo este tiempo, la estación ha servido como un laboratorio orbital único cuyos descubrimientos benefician a <em>todos</em> los habitantes de la Tierra.
Houston We Have A Podcast: The Evolution of the Laboratory
On episode 406, deputy manager of the ISS vehicle office Laura Shaw and International Space Station Program chief scientist Jennifer Buchli discuss the science, discoveries, and innovations that have defined nearly 25 years aboard the orbiting laboratory.
The Power of Human Ingenuity
NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. A truly global endeavor, the International Space Station has been visited by more than 290 people from 26 countries and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft.
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Stories from 25 Years on Orbit
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Holidays in Space: 25 Years of Space Station Celebrations
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Through Astronaut Eyes: 25 Years of Life in Orbit
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25 Years of Space Station Technology Driving Exploration
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Student Art Murals at Johnson Celebrate 25 Years of Humanity in Space
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International Space Station: Launching NASA and Humanity into Deep Space
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The International Space Station Marks 25 Years of Continuous Human Presence
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25 Years of Scientific Discovery Aboard the International Space Station
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Countdown to Space Station’s Silver Jubilee with Silver Research
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Space Station 25th Anniversary Science Images
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NASA Johnson Celebrates 25 Years of Humanity in Space
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The Overview Effect: Astronaut Perspectives from 25 Years in Low Earth Orbit
Highlights from a Quarter Century on Orbit
2025: Celebrating 25 Years on the Space Station
The seven-member Expedition 73 crew poses for a portrait on Nov. 2, 2025, the 25th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. In the front row from left are, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky. In the back row are, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui.
NASA
2000: Expedition 1 Crew Members on the Space Station
The Expedition 1 crew members about to enjoy fresh oranges aboard the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. Pictured, from the left, are Roscosmos cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, Soyuz commander; NASA astronaut William M. Shepherd, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev.
NASA
2001: An Early Station Selfie
One of the first “station selfies” by NASA astronaut Robert L. Curbeam as he works outside the newly installed Destiny module during STS-98 in 2001. On this spacewalk, the crew connected cables, unveiled the lab’s window, and adjusted hardware ahead of schedule.
NASA
2002: A Moment Outside the Shuttle
NASA astronaut John B. Herrington, pictured next to the forward section of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, waves while performing a spacewalk during the STS-113 mission. This was the 16th American assembly flight and 112th overall American flight to the International Space Station, having launched on Nov. 23, 2002, from Kennedy’s launch pad 39A.
NASA
2003: Suited up in the Quest Airlock
Roscosmos cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko (left) and NASA astronaut Edward T. Lu perform a spacesuit fit check in the Quest airlock on the International Space Station. The objective was to check out the equipment and provide the crew with training for preparing for a two-person spacewalk without intravehicular crewmember support, should it become necessary.
NASA
2004: HAM Radio in the Zvezda Service Module
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke uses a microphone/keypad for the Amateur Radio in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station during his contact with the Palmer Research Station in Antarctica.
NASA
2005: Four Minds, One Mission
STS-114 crew from left, NASA astronauts Eileen M. Collins, Wendy Lawrence, James M. Kelly and Charles J. Camarda at their respective stations to support rendezvous and docking operations with the International Space Station. STS-114 marked the first “Return to Flight” shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the first shuttle mission to station commanded by a woman.
NASA
2006: A Hello Between Worlds
NASA astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams during an individualized portion of a 5-hour, 54-minute spacewalk which he completed with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Reiter (out of frame). For part of the spacewalk, the pair worked in tandem before working separately, enabling the duo to get ahead of their timeline and tack on extra tasks.
NASA
2007: Discovery Meets the Station
Backdropped by a blue and white Earth, Space Shuttle Discovery approaches the International Space Station during STS-120 rendezvous and docking operations on Oct. 25, 2007. The Harmony node is visible in Discovery’s cargo bay. A Russian spacecraft, docked to the station, is visible at left.
NASA
2008: Science Meets the Stars
The Japanese Experiment Module, or JEM, also called Kibo, in its new home on the International Space Station. Kibo serves as a research laboratory with a pressurized module for experiments in space medicine, biology, Earth observation and more.
NASA
2009: Stars of Expedition 20
In 2009, station hosted the first six-person crew with all partner agencies (USA, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada) onboard simultaneously. This was a significant increase in crew size and operational capacity. Pictured clockwise from right (center) are cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, commander; Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne, all flight engineers.
NASA
2010: Installing the Window to the World
On Feb. 8, 2010, space shuttle Endeavour began its 24th trip into space, on the 20A assembly mission to the International Space Station, the 32nd shuttle flight to the orbiting lab. The STS-130 mission’s primary objectives included delivering the Tranquility module and the cupola to the space station, adding 21 tons of hardware to the facility. NASA astronauts Terry Virts, left, and Jeffery Williams pictured in the cupola after opening the windows for the first time.
NASA
2011: Legacy on the Hatch
Shortly before the shuttle crew left the space station, Ferguson presented the Expedition 28 crew with a U.S. flag flown on the first space shuttle mission, STS-1, in 1981. During the televised ceremony, the crews placed the flag on the hatch of the Harmony module through which the Atlantis crew departed, and through which the next crew to launch on an American spacecraft from American soil would arrive.
NASA
2012: Peaking Through the Cupola
European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers is pictured in a window of the Cupola on the International Space Station, backdropped by the blackness of space.
NASA
2013: A Glimpse of Cygnus
At the windows in the International Space Station’s Cupola, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano uses a laser range finder during rendezvous, capture and docking operations with the first Cygnus commercial cargo spacecraft built by Orbital Sciences Corp. The two spacecraft converged at 7:01 a.m. EDT on Sept. 29, 2013.
NASA
2014: 3-D Printing Takes Flight
NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore holds a 3-D printed ratchet wrench from the new 3-D printer aboard the International Space Station. The printer completed the first phase of a NASA technology demonstration by printing a tool with a design file that was transmitted from the ground to the printer.
NASA
2015: Separated by Miles, United by the Mission
On May 15, 2015, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, aboard the International Space Station, shared a photo via X (formerly Twitter) to acknowledge his twin brother and former astronaut Mark Kelly’s appearance on a Television show. He stated, “”Watching my bro @ShuttleCDRKelly on #CelebrityJeopardy onboard @Space_Station this morning. Great job representing!”
NASA
2016: DNA Sequencing in Orbit
NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins prepares for the Run 2 sample initialization of the Biomolecule Sequencer experiment. For the first time, the Biomolecule Sequencer demonstrated that DNA sequencing is feasible in an orbiting spacecraft. A space-based DNA sequencer could identify microbes, diagnose diseases and understand crew member health, and potentially help detect DNA-based life elsewhere in the solar system.
NASA
2017: Story Time in the Stars
NASA astronaut Joe Acaba holds a children’s book that he is reading from as part of the Story Time From Space program. Astronauts read aloud from a STEM-related children’s book while being videotaped and demonstrate simple science concepts and experiments aboard the International Space Station.
NASA
2018: Microbial Forensics in Microgravity
NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold swabbed surfaces in the International Space Station to collect microbe samples. He then processed the microbial DNA using the Biomolecule Sequencer, a device that enables DNA sequencing in microgravity, to identify microbes able to survive in microgravity.
NASA
2019: Suited for History
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir (left) and Christina Koch (right) put on their spacesuits as they prepare to leave the hatch of the International Space Station and begin the historical first-ever all-female spacewalk. The two ventured outside the International Space Station on Friday, Oct. 18, to replace faulty equipment on the station’s exterior.
NASA
2020: Human Spaceflight Returns to the U.S.
In 2020, human spaceflight returned to the U.S. with the launch of the SpaceX Demo-2 mission. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley launched to the space station in May, marking the first crewed launch from the U.S. since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. Additionally, the space station celebrated 20 years of being continuously crewed in November.
NASA
2021: Preserving Science in Space
Expedition 65 Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency stows samples inside a science freezer, also known as the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). MELFI provides the space station with refrigerated storage and freezing of biological and life science samples. It can hold up to 300 liters of samples ranging in temperature from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of -146 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius to a low of -99 degrees Celsius).
NASA
2022: A Full House in Microgravity
The 11-person crew aboard the station comprises of (clockwise from bottom right) Expedition 67 Commander Tom Marshburn with Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, Sergey Korsakov, Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Matthias Maurer; and Axiom Mission 1 astronauts (center row from left) Mark Pathy, Eytan Stibbe, Larry Conner, and Michael Lopez-Alegria.
NASA
2023: Record Breaking Stay
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is pictured inside the cupola, the International Space Station’s “window to the world,” as the orbiting lab flew 263 miles above southeastern England. Rubio’s spaceflight is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, breaking the record previously held at 355 days by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. During his mission, Rubio completed approximately 5,936 orbits in a journey of more than 157 million miles, which is roughly the equivalent of 328 trips to the Moon and back.
NASA/Frank Rubio
2024: Printing Life Above Earth
In May 2024, BFF-Cardiac successfully bioprinted a three-dimensional human heart tissue sample using the Redwire BioFabrication Facility. Tissues bioprinted in the microgravity of the space station hold their shape without the use of artificial scaffolds. These bioprinted human heart tissues eventually could be used to create personalized patches for tissue damaged by events such as heart attacks. The tissue sample is undergoing further testing on Earth.
NASA
Spot the Station
The Spot the Station mobile app is an official NASA app that helps users track and receive notifications for International Space Station viewings as it passes over their respective location. It also provides real-time tracking, flyover schedules, and alerts.
Learn More about Spot the Station
