THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
The International Space Station is the largest international scientific or technological project ever undertaken. It is made possible by work in labs and factories all over the world. A permanent laboratory is established in a realm where gravity, temperature and pressure can be manipulated. The projects undertaken in the space station are impossible to conduct on Earth. Future technologies are tested there and advances will be made in the development of new industrial materials, technology of communication and medical innovations.
The Space Station provides scientists with electric power and time to conduct research on the growth of protein crystals, which helps scientists understand the nature of proteins. Crystals grown in space are currently superior to anything grown on Earth, and these crystals are essential for research into cancer, diabetes, emphysema, parasitic infections and immune system disorders.
The absence of gravity on the Space Station provides for new insights into human health and the combat against disease. Heart, lung and kidney function are studied on the Space Station, as well as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hormonal imbalances and disorders, and brain function.
Crew members study materials that could not exist on Earth and processes that could not take place on Earth due to gravity. Polymers, semiconducters for high-speed supercomputers and electronics, and high-temperature superconductors are tested on the Space Station. The Space Station will lead efforts to educate and motivate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and thinkers.
I learned all the information I just described about the Space Station from an article at the website of Thinkquest.