Science Times: 20 Years of Living in Orbit on the International Space Station

Plus: Ancient Dog DNA

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 3, 2020 The International Space Station, photographed from the space shuttle Discovery in 2011.NASA Life in Outer Space Humanity has never built anything like the outpost that orbits Earth some 240 miles above the planet. It is a collection of compartments filled with not only cutting-edge technologies, but also the stories of the astronauts who have lived aboard it for the past two decades. ¶ There are certainly other important stories to tell about 20 years in low-Earth orbit. But the selection that follows highlights the potential of life beyond the grip of gravity as well as the risks human beings face when we reach for the stars. ¶ Although no one can say for certain what the future holds for the station, here are some of its defining moments. NASA   The I.S.S. At 20 How the Space Station Became a Base to Launch Humanity’s Future Once derided as a poster child for government waste, the outpost in orbit is now seen as a linchpin for future economic activity in space. By Kenneth Chang Paolo Nespoli and Roland Miller   Out There Home Sweet Home in Orbit A visual tour of the International Space Station, humanity’s high-tech home in the sky. By Dennis Overbye     20 Years Aboard the International Space Station Twenty years ago today, three astronauts stepped aboard the International Space Station. Since then, the I.S.S. has hosted hundreds of residents from many countries. This is a history of our first 20 years of living aboard. By Eleanor Lutz Martin Brayley/Alamy   Ancient Dog DNA Shows Early Spread Around the Globe Research on fossil canine genomes is expanding and producing some surprises about the lives of dogs and humans in prehistoric times. 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