ISS Countries 2024

The United States - Nasa started its building plans for a unit called Freedom in the 1980s. The Ronald Reagan administration approved of it. Insufficient funding delayed it. In the 1990s, the government renamed it and redesigned it. As of 2020, the U.S. had sent 151 people to space.

Russia - In 1993, Russia joined forces with the U.S. to carry out the space station project. Both countries contributed their sources stored at separate facilities. Afterward, they began to create a single unit together known as Unity or Node 1. The country sent 48 people to space by 2020.

Canada - Canada became one of 15 ISS countries to sign the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement. This country first developed Canadarm. The number of people this nation sent to space totaled eight by 2020.

Japan - Japan also signed the 1998 agreement along with the U.S., Russia, Canada and 11 European nations They contributed to the Harmony, also known as the Node 2 ISS utility hub. It had electrical power and four sleeping cabins. Nine people went to space from this nation.

Belgium - This ISS country sent Frank De Winne to space in 2002 aboard the Soyuz TMA-1. He returned to space in 2009 traveling in the Soyuz TMA-15. The first time, he spent 183 days docked. The second time, he spent docked for 186 days.

Denmark - This nation sent Andreas Mogensen on the Soyuz TMA-18M in 2015. Time docked was 180 days. Denmark has about 50 years of experience dealing with space technology and science. They participated in more than 100 international space missions with both The European Space Agency and Nasa as of 2021.

France - Four people from this country went to space. This nation operates the Centre National D'études Spatiales (CNES). They involved themselves in microgravity experiments, which means that they worked with spacecraft “almost zero” gravity conditions.

Germany - Germany runs the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt. This ISS country has sent three people to space. Thomas Reiter launched the STS-121 Discovery in 2006. Hans Schiegel traveled on the STS-122 Atlantis in 2008, and Alexander Gerst blasted off aboard the Soyuz TMA-13M. They experimented on weightless space travel.

Italy - Five people went to space from this country. They continue to take photographs from the Cosmo-SkyMed constellation. In addition, Italy plays a role in studying environmental conditions and natural disasters.

Netherlands - Andre Kulpers embarked on the Soyuz TMA-03M, which launched in 2011. In 2021, this country on the ISS countries list rebuilt a robotic arm after its first prototype was created 35 years ago.

Norway - The Norwegian Space Agency, which used to be called the Norwegian Space Centre, was founded in 1987. However, this country had participated in various space activities since the 1960s.

Spain - The country sent Pedro Duque to Spain in 2003. He boarded the Soyuz TMA-3 and docked for about 192 days. In May 2021, Nasa Commander Shane Kimbrough announced a recent siting over Salamanca in Spain.

Sweden - Christer Fuglesang from Sweden went to space on the STS-128 in 2009. They provide satellite engineering services to institutions and commercial establishments around the world.

Switzerland - This nation joined the rest of the ISS countries in 1998. A couple of space station sightings occurred in July 2021, and more are to come this year.

United Kingdom - Timothy Peake went to space in 2015. He rode the Soyuz TMA-19M. Recent sightings took place over London in July 2021.