space station or space platform, artificial earth satellite, usually manned, that is placed in a fixed orbit and can serve as a base for astronomical observations; zero-gravity materials processing; satellite assembly, refueling, and repair; or, possibly, as weapons platforms. The first space station was the Soviet Salyut 1, launched in Apr., 1971. The Soyuz 10 spacecraft docked with this station, but the crew did not enter it; two months later the cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz 11 spacecraft docked and entered Salyut 1, remaining aboard for 22 days. By 1982 five more Salyut space stations had been orbited successfully, two of them for military purposes. By rotating the crews regularly, the Soviets were able to staff the stations for extended periods. All the Salyut space stations have decayed and are no longer in orbit.

During this period the United States launched its only true space station. Called Skylab, it was placed in orbit in May, 1973. Skylab housed three three-person crews, the last remaining aboard for 84 days, which at that time was a record for continuous residency in space. Among the tasks accomplished by the Skylab astronauts were biomedical studies to evaluate the effects of weightlessness, photographing the earth to monitor volcanoes and earthquake faults, astronomical observations of optical sources (including extensive studies of Comet Kohoutek), and materials-processing activities such as brazing and welding (to see how they were affected by the lack of gravity). Skylab fell to earth in July, 1974, showering debris over uninhabited parts of Australia and the Indian Ocean.

The Soviet Union launched the core module of the Mir space station in Feb., 1986. It was enlarged several times so that it could accommodate a crew of up to six cosmonauts. The Mir program was enhanced by having international teams conduct experiments at the station; Afghanistan, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan, Syria and the United States, in addition to Russia and other nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, participated. In 1995, Mir cosmonaut Valery Polyakov set an endurance record of nearly 439 days in space, eclipsing the previous record of 326 days set in 1987 by Yuri Romanenko (also while on Mir). In Aug., 1999, its extended 13-year mission concluded, Mir was abandoned. During its lifetime, it orbited the earth 86,331 times and was home to 104 people, including 42 Russian cosmonauts and 7 American astronauts. In Mar., 2001, Mir fell to earth, the largest spacecraft (143 tons/130 metric tons) ever to decay, showering an estimated 1,500 fragments of 44 lb (20 kg) or more over an uninhabited area 120 mi (193 km) wide by 3,600 mi (5795 km) long in the South Pacific.

The United States, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Russia, and 11 members of the European Space Agency (ESA)—Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom—are developing a space station that is being assembled in space. Each partner is contributing a portion of the complex, called the International Space Station (ISS). For example, of the six laboratories that will be included, three will be provided by Russia, one by the United States, one by Japan, and one by ESA. The first element, Zarya (the control module), was orbited by a Russian Proton rocket in Nov., 1998. A month later the U.S. space shuttle Endeavour initiated the first assembly sequence of the ISS, linking the Unity module, a passageway that connects living and work areas of the station, to Zarya. In July, 2000, the Russian-built Zvezda service module was mated with the two existing components. The first permanent crew—two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut—began living aboard the ISS in Nov., 2000, marking the beginning of what is anticipated to be a continuous human presence. When planned construction is completed, the ISS will be 290 ft (88.5 m) long, have a wingspan of 396 ft (120.7 m), and be 143 ft (43.5 m) tall. Its mass will be nearly a million pounds (454,000 kg), and it will support a crew of seven. The plan involves more than 40 space flights by at least three space vehicles (the space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz rocket, and the Russian Proton rocket) to deliver the various ISS components to earth orbit. Assembly of the more than 100 components has utilized a combination of human spacewalks and robot technologies. Components added since 2000 include the Destiny Laboratory (2001, United States), Pirs Docking Compartment (2001, Russia), and Columbus laboratory (2008, ESA).

Valley Station, uninc. town (1990 pop. 22,840), Jefferson co., N central Ky, S of Louisville. It is a primarily residential community.

Savage's Station: see Seven Days battles.

Huntington Station, uninc. town (1990 pop. 28,247), Suffolk co., SE N.Y., on the north shore of Long Island. The town has a diverse manufacturing base and is located near a popular vacation and fishing area on Long Island's north shore. Walt Whitman was born there, and his birthplace is preserved.

College Station, city (1990 pop. 52,456), Brazos co., E central Tex.; inc. 1938. In a prosperous cattle and cotton producing area, College Station doubled in population from 1970 to 1990. It is home to the huge Texas A&M Univ. and to the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library. The city of Bryan borders College Station on the northwest.

Brandy Station, small trading center, Culpeper co., Va. It was the scene of the greatest cavalry engagement of the Civil War (also called the battle of Fleetwood Hill), fought June 9, 1863. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton's Union cavalry surprised Confederate Gen. Jeb Stuart's cavalry and fought a hard battle before the approach of Confederate infantry forced a withdrawal across the Rappahannock. This engagement was followed by the Gettysburg campaign.

Manned artificial structure designed to revolve in a fixed orbit as a long-term base for astronomical observations, study of Earth's resources and environment, military reconnaissance, and investigations of materials and biological systems in weightless conditions. As of 2001, nine space stations have been placed in a low Earth orbit and occupied for varying lengths of time. The Soviet Union orbited the world's first space station, Salyut 1, designed for scientific studies, in 1971. From 1974 to 1982 five more Salyut stations—two outfitted for military reconnaissance—were successfully placed in orbit and occupied. In 1986 the U.S.S.R. launched the core module of Mir, a scientific station that was expanded with five additional modules over the next decade. The U.S. orbited its first space station in 1973; called Skylab, it was equipped as a solar observatory and medical laboratory. In 1998 the U.S. and Russia began the in-orbit construction of the International Space Station (ISS), a complex of laboratory and habitat modules that would ultimately involve contributions from at least 16 countries. In 2000 the ISS received its first resident crew.

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