A Super Space Place
The International Space Station (ISS) is being built by thousands of people from 16 countries. All these people are trying to find out if humans can one day live in space.
Floating 230 miles above Earth, the ISS currently looks like a giant building-block project out in space. United States space shuttles and Russian rockets have been transporting tools and pieces of the station into space to help finish building it. From the beginning of its construction in 1998 to its completion, more than 100 major pieces will be assembled to create this amazing space station. When finished, it will be the largest structure ever to float above Earth. The ISS will be larger than a football field and will weigh about one million pounds.
In addition to helping build the space station, the crews are trying to answer such questions as these: How does space travel affect germs? Does the body break down food and nutrients differently in space? Some day, the station may even serve as a launchpad (发射台) for missions to other planets, such as Mars.
Because of its large size, the ISS needs a lot of power. This power comes from solar energy. To create solar energy, large panels are lined with special materials. These materials collect the sun's energy for power and change the sun's rays into electricity. So what does it cost to build such a structure? It costs over $60 billion dollars. Although this may seem very large, it may be a small price to pay for a project that enables some of the world's finest scientists to work together, exploring space for the world's future.
9. The total cost of building the ISS is over $60 billion dollars.