On cloudless nights, with a certain amount of luck, every inhabitant of the Earth can raise a head to the sky and see a small twinkling star flying among other celestial bodies. This is not a star, not a planet, but the largest man-made object - an outpost of humanity in near space - the International Space Station. Thirty years ago it seemed impossible, but at the end of the 20th century, the advanced countries of the world united to create a space research center. The launch of the station became a symbol of international cooperation and the end of the Cold War.The ISS consists of 14 modules, solar panels and technological devices and mechanisms. The station weighs about 450 tons and revolves around the Earth at an altitude of 340 kilometers, orbiting the planet 16 times earth day.