After 38 expeditions, more than 250 visitors, countless orbits and immeasurable benefits to humankind, the International Space Station is marking its 15th year of service as a one-of-its-kind destination for science, research, collaboration and exploration. As prime contractor for building and sustaining the ISS, Boeing celebrates the ISS as a model for international cooperation and engineering fortitude. President Ronald Reagan outlined the vision of the International Space Station in 1984 and the ISS became an orbiting reality in 1998 with the launch of the first module, the Zarya. ISS now spans the length of a football field and makes regular appearances during chats with schoolchildren, YouTube videos, and even cinema. The scientific benefits of the ISS as a national lab are improving lives on earth, through achievements in treating salmonella, Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy and osteoporosis. Ensuring generations to come benefit from the ISS is critically important to the inspiration and realization that is space exploration – visit Beyond Earth for more information.