(11 Aug. 2007) — Astronaut Tracy Caldwell, STS-118 mission specialist, refers to a procedures checklist while working the controls of the shuttle's remote manipulator system (RMS) robotic arm from the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour in support of the mission's first planned session of extravehicular activity (EVA) while docked with the International Space Station.
The International Space Station has enabled an uninterrupted human presence in orbit for over 25 years.
The orbiting laboratory is the largest and most ambitious space structure ever built, representing a global collaboration in science, engineering, and exploration. Its construction began with the launch of the Russian module Zarya on November 20th, 1998, followed by the U.S. built Unity node just weeks later. Over the next 13 years, more than 100 different elements and modules were launched and assembled in orbit through a complex series of more than 30 missions, involving both the Space Shuttle program and Russian Soyuz and Proton rockets.
The final major U.S. assembly mission was STS-135, the last flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which launched on this day in 2011. Even after core construction was completed, the station has continued to evolve, with new scientific hardware and international modules added in the years since. Construction of the ISS has involved 15 nations, including major contributions from the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, and the member states of the European Space Agency. Ultimately, its success hinged on the talents and hard work of a few hundred people, and still does today, as the station provides a proving ground for upcoming long-duration crewed missions to the moon and Mars.
NASA's upcoming Artemis mission promises to land the first woman on the lunar surface in just a few years. Supercluster, along with our friends at Space Camper Cosmic IPA, are celebrating the rich history of women's contributions to the advancement of human spaceflight, and to the building of a reliable outpost and laboratory in orbit.
We dug through agency archives for rare photos of the intrepid women of NASA's astronaut corps that helped build the International Space Station, our home away from home in space. And by no means does this include everyone who contributed.
(9 Aug. 2007) — Astronaut Tracy Caldwell, STS-118 mission specialist, works the controls on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour during flight day two activities. Astronaut Charlie Hobaugh, pilot, is visible at lower right.
Tracy Caldwell Dyson was born on August 14th, 1969, in Arcadia, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from California State University, Fullerton, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Davis. Before joining NASA in 1998, she conducted research in atmospheric chemistry. Her first spaceflight was STS-118, followed by missions aboard Soyuz TMA-18 and Soyuz MS-25. During her time aboard the ISS, she performed three spacewalks to replace a failed ammonia pump and complete external maintenance. Her work helped restore the station’s thermal control system, a critical subsystem for crew safety. Caldwell Dyson’s mission contributed to ISS functionality and operational resilience.
(11 March 2001) — Astronaut Susan J. Helms completes a scheduled space walk task on the International Space Station (ISS). This extravehicular activity (EVA), on which Helms was joined by astronaut James S. Voss (out of frame), was the first of two scheduled STS-102 EVA sessions. The pair, destined to become members of the Expedition Two crew aboard the station later in the mission, rode aboard Discovery into orbit and at the time of this EVA were still regarded as STS-102 mission specialists.
Susan J. Helms was born on February 26, 1958, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and considers Portland, Oregon her hometown. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University. Helms served as a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, where she worked as a flight test engineer and instructor pilot before her selection as a NASA astronaut in 1990. Over her NASA career, she flew on five spaceflights: STS-54, STS-64, STS-78, STS-101, and STS-102, which delivered her to the ISS as part of Expedition 2. During that expedition, she performed a record-breaking 8-hour and 56-minute spacewalk. Her EVA helped install critical external hardware and airlock systems during the early stages of station assembly. Helms played a key role in building the ISS’s foundation for long-term habitation.
To learn more about each of these pioneers and their fellow crew members, head over to our interactive Astronaut Database. Also, you can track all inbound and outbound spacecraft traffic as well as crew rotations aboard the ISS and China's Tiangong Space Station using our Stations Dashboard.
(11 March 2001) — Astronaut Susan J. Helms works while holding onto a rigid umbilical and with her feet anchored to the remote manipulator system (RMS) robot arm on the Space Shuttle Discovery. This extravehicular activity (EVA), on which Helms was joined by astronaut James S. Voss (out of frame), was the first of two scheduled STS-102 space walks. The pair, destined to become members of the Expedition Two crew aboard the station later in the mission, rode aboard Discovery into orbit and at the time of this EVA were still regarded as STS-102 mission specialists.
(21 May 2011) — After more than five months of serving as a flight engineer on back-to-back International Space Station Expedition crews, NASA astronaut Cady Coleman (seen aboard the orbiting complex) is only 48 hours away from returning to Earth. She and two Expedition 27 crewmates will lessen the current population of twelve on the joint Endeavour/ISS complex to nine when they undock on May 23 in a Soyuz spacecraft and return to Earth.
Catherine “Cady” Coleman was born on December 14, 1960, in Charleston, South Carolina. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from MIT and a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, she was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1992. Coleman flew on STS-73 and STS-93, and served a long-duration mission aboard Soyuz TMA-20 during Expeditions 26/27. While on the ISS, she conducted research, operated robotic systems, and supported onboard systems integration. Although she did not perform spacewalks, her work ensured seamless operation of scientific payloads and internal systems. Coleman played a vital role in enhancing the ISS’s research infrastructure and crew support systems.
(18 March 2001) — The International Space Station (ISS) backdropped against Earth's horizon was photographed with a digital still camera from the Space Shuttle Discovery on March 18, 2001. It is a standard practice for the shuttle to make a final fly-around of the outpost following unlinking from it. A new crew comprised of cosmonaut Yury V. Usachev and astronauts James S. Voss and Susan J. Helms will spend several months aboard the station.
(11 Feb. 2010) — NASA astronaut Kathryn Hire, STS-130 mission specialist, works in the Unity node of the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station.
Kay A. Hire was born on August 26th, 1959, in Mobile, Alabama. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Management from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Space Technology from the Florida Institute of Technology. She served as a U.S. Navy Captain and flight officer before joining NASA in 1994. Hire flew on two Shuttle missions: STS-90 and STS-130. During STS-130, she assisted in delivering and activating the Tranquility node and Cupola, which expanded the station’s habitable space and observation capabilities. These additions were vital for life-support, robotics, and Earth observation. Hire’s contributions significantly improved the ISS’s long-term livability and human performance systems.
(5 March 2011) — NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, STS-133 mission specialist, poses in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, docked to the International Space Station, while space shuttle Discovery remains linked with the station.
Nicole P. Stott was born on November 19th, 1962, in Albany, New York. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida. Before joining NASA in 2000, she worked as a structural engineer and avionics specialist for the Shuttle program. Stott flew on STS-128 and STS-133. During her stay at the station, she operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm and participated in a spacewalk to prepare external hardware. Her robotics operations were critical to the integration of new modules and helped expand the station’s capabilities for cargo transfer and resupply.
(25 Nov. 2009) — Astronaut Nicole Stott, STS-129 mission specialist, gets in a workout on the bicycle ergometer onboard the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Atlantis during flight day 10 activities.
(8-19 April 2002) — Astronauts Ellen Ochoa (foreground) and Carl E. Walz, STS-110 mission specialist and Expedition Four flight engineer, respectively, work the controls of the Canadarm2 in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS).
Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10th, 1958, in Los Angeles, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from San Diego State University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Ochoa joined NASA in 1988 as a research engineer and became an astronaut in 1991. She flew four Shuttle missions, including STS-110, which delivered and installed the S0 truss segment to the ISS. As the robotic arm operator, she played a critical role in maneuvering and attaching the truss, forming the structural backbone of the station. Her work made future expansion of modules and solar arrays possible. Ochoa’s expertise in robotics was central to ISS structural assembly.
(4 Nov. 2007) — Astronauts Pam Melroy (left), STS-120 commander; Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander; and Stephanie Wilson, STS-120 mission specialist, pose for a photo in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked with the station.
(8 April 2010) — Astronaut Stephanie D. Wilson, STS-131 mission specialist, works in the International Space Station’s cupola module while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked to the station.
Stephanie D. Wilson was born on September 27th, 1966, in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Harvard University and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Selected by NASA in 1996, she became one of the agency’s most experienced female astronauts. Wilson flew on three Shuttle missions: STS-121, STS-120, and STS-131. On these missions, she served as a robotic arm operator and helped install the Harmony node and logistics modules. Her contributions enabled both structural expansion and resupply capabilities. Wilson’s precision robotics work directly supported station assembly and scientific payload delivery. Wilson was selected to participate in the Artemis program and could be both the first woman and the first African-American on the Moon.
Left: (31 Jan. 2007) — Astronaut Pamela A. Melroy, STS-120 commander, attired in a training version of her shuttle launch and entry suit, awaits the start of a water survival training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near Johnson Space Center. Right: (24 April 2002) — Astronaut Pamela A. Melroy, STS-112 pilot, wearing a training version of the full-pressure launch and entry suit, lowers herself from a simulated shuttle in trouble during an emergency egress training session. This type training takes place in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).
Pamela A. Melroy was born on September 17th, 1961, in Palo Alto, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Astronomy from Wellesley College and a Master of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences from MIT. Melroy was a U.S. Air Force test pilot before joining NASA as an astronaut in 1995. She flew on three missions: STS-92, STS-112, and commanded STS-120. During STS-120, she oversaw the delivery and installation of the Harmony node, which enabled further module additions from Europe and Japan. Her role as commander helped coordinate robotics, EVA, and module integration. Melroy’s leadership was key to the ISS’s expansion and international collaboration.
Quick View: International Space Station
Mass
450,000 kg
Length
109 m (overall)
Width
73 m (solar array)
Orbital speed
27,600 km/h
Orbits per day
15.5
Altitude
Apogee - 422 km
(14 Nov. 2008) — Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-126 mission specialist, attired in her shuttle launch and entry suit, is pictured on the middeck of Space Shuttle Endeavour during flight day one activities.
Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper was born on February 7th, 1963, in St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stefanyshyn-Piper served as a U.S. Navy officer and salvage engineer before becoming a NASA astronaut in 1996. She flew on STS-115 and STS-126, where she conducted a total of five spacewalks. Her EVA tasks included installing the P3/P4 truss segments and upgrading the station’s regenerative life-support systems. These missions were critical to expanding the ISS’s structural backbone and preparing it for long-duration crewed missions. Her work ensured the station’s long-term sustainability and power capabilities.
(4 Nov. 2007) — Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, prepares to close the hatch in the Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA-2) of the International Space Station after the STS-120 crewmembers boarded Space Shuttle Discovery for their return trip home. Hatches were closed between the station and the shuttle at 2:03 p.m. (CST) on Nov. 4.
Peggy A. Whitson is currently aboard the ISS as the commander of the private Axiom-4 mission, continuing her record-breaking career in space after arriving on Dragon last week. Whitson was born on February 9th, 1960, in Mt. Ayr, Iowa. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Rice University. Before becoming an astronaut, Whitson was a NASA research biochemist and project scientist for the Shuttle-Mir Program.
She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996 and flew on three missions for the agency: STS-111, Soyuz TMA-11, and Soyuz MS-03. She performed 10 spacewalks totaling over 60 hours and became the first female commander of the ISS during Expedition 16. Whitson accumulated a total of 665 days in space, more than any American astronaut at the time of her retirement from NASA. She then joined Axiom Space and commanded the Axiom-2 mission. Whitson's leadership and EVA work contributed to the installation of truss structures, laboratories, and life-support systems essential to the station’s expansion.
(10 July 2002) — NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 5 International Space Station (ISS) science officer, looks at the Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC) Soybean plant growth experiment as part of Expediting the Process of Experiments to the Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack 4 located in the U.S. Laboratory Destiny.
(2 December 2002) — Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five NASA ISS science officer, looks at the International Space Station (ISS) through a window on the Space Shuttle Endeavour following the undocking of the two spacecraft. Endeavour pulled away from the complex at 2:05 p.m. (CST) on December 2, 2002 as the two spacecraft flew over northwestern Australia.
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Support(3 June 2007) — Cosmonaut Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, Expedition 15 commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, cuts astronaut Sunita L. Williams' hair in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. Williams, flight engineer, holds a vacuum device fashioned to garner freshly cut hair.
Sunita "Suni" Williams was born on September 19th, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, and considers Needham, Massachusetts her hometown. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987 and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995. Williams served as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and test pilot before being selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998. She has flown on four space missions: STS-116/Soyuz TMA-9 as part of Expedition 14/15, Soyuz TMA-05M for Expedition 32/33, the failed Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test mission in 2024, and finally the return Crew-9 mission on Dragon in which Williams hitched a ride earlier this year.
Across her missions, she has spent over 608 days in space and completed nine spacewalks. Her EVAs supported the installation of solar arrays, power systems, cooling lines, and structural upgrades to the ISS. Through her extensive operational, EVA, and leadership work, Williams played a pivotal role in expanding and maintaining the International Space Station’s infrastructure across two decades of spaceflight.
(24 May 2007) — Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, Expedition 15 flight engineer, enters data in a computer for the Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Spaceflight-Long (Sleep-Long) experiment in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Sleep-Long will examine the effects of spaceflight and ambient light exposure on the sleep-wake cycles of the crew members during long-duration stays on the station.
(12 December 2001) — Astronaut Linda M. Godwin, STS-108 mission specialist, works in the Rafaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) on the International Space Station (ISS). The image was taken with a digital still camera.
Linda M. Godwin was born on July 2, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics from Southeast Missouri State University and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Missouri. Godwin joined NASA in 1980 and became an astronaut in 1986. She flew four Shuttle missions: STS-37, STS-59, STS-76, and STS-108. During STS-108, she performed a spacewalk to install thermal insulation and external experiments on the ISS. Her work supported early external outfitting and readiness for future assembly phases. Godwin helped establish the structural and scientific platform for continued station construction.
(11 December 1998) — Astronaut Nancy J. Currie, mission specialist, participates in work aboard Zarya. One of Currie's tasks was to replace a faulty unit which controls the discharging of stored energy from one of the module's six batteries. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 01:58:16 GMT, Dec. 11.
Nancy J. Currie was born on December 29th, 1958, in Wilmington, Delaware. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from Ohio State University and advanced degrees in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Currie served as a U.S. Army Colonel and flight test engineer before being selected as a NASA astronaut in 1990. She flew on four missions, including STS-88, the first ISS assembly flight. As the robotic arm operator on STS-88, she helped connect the Unity and Zarya modules. This operation marked the official beginning of ISS assembly in orbit. Currie-Gregg’s precision in robotic operations laid the foundation for all future station construction.
For more on the history of the ISS, check out our short film — The Station:
