Space Station Tracker

The International Space Station is the largest human-made structure in space, a collaborative effort of 15 nations. It has been continuously inhabited since November 2, 2000, making it the longest continuous human presence in low Earth orbit -- over 25 years. The ISS orbits Earth approximately every 90 minutes at a speed of about 28,000 km/h. Over 270 individuals from 21 countries have visited the station. The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory where scientific research is conducted in astrobiology, astronomy, meteorology, physics, and other fields. It is scheduled for decommissioning around 2030, with NASA planning a controlled deorbit using a dedicated deorbit vehicle.

China's Tiangong (meaning "Heavenly Palace") is the country's permanently crewed space station in low Earth orbit. The T-shaped three-module station was assembled between 2021 and 2022, with Tianhe serving as the core living and command module, and Wentian and Mengtian as laboratory modules. The station supports a crew of 3, with 6 during rotation handovers. China plans to expand Tiangong with additional modules over the coming years, potentially increasing its mass to over 180 tonnes. The associated Xuntian Space Telescope, a Hubble-class observatory, orbits near the station and can dock for servicing. China has invited international collaboration, with experiments from multiple countries being conducted aboard.