Also known as: 国際宇宙ステーション, ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular Space Station in low Earth orbit operated by NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA), JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). With a total cost of around $150 billion USD, it is the most expensive object ever built.
Its construction began in 1998 with the launch of the Russian Zarya module and become operational in 2000, since creating a continuous presence of humans in space. While main construction was completed in 2011 (just before the retirement of the Space Shuttle), the station has seen new components added every few years thanks to its modular design.
The station is planned to be retired in 2030 and de-orbited in 2031.