Forward View - International Space Station

Looking ahead in the direction the International Space Station is flying, this camera shows parts of the station's structure in the foreground, with Earth's oceans, clouds and coastlines sweeping toward the viewer below.

The first piece of the station, the Russian-built Zarya module, was launched on November 20, 1998. Astronauts have lived on board without a break since November 2, 2000, the longest continuous human presence in space.

It's run by five space agencies, from the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. The station is planned to keep working until the end of 2030, when it will be steered down out of orbit and into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

Did You Know? With its solar arrays, the station is about 358 feet (109 m) long, roughly the size of a football field.

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