Australia's Guide to Space

A space station is essentially a man-made structure in which human beings can stay while they are in outer space – in many ways, they are meant to serve as home bases for astronauts who have been sent out to space missions. Currently, there are no space stations that could play home to human beings beyond low earth orbit (these are called LEO stations or low orbit stations). Essentially, the primary function of space stations is to allow observation of the effects of long-term space travel on a human being.

It must be noted that the main difference between the space shuttle and the space station is that the space station does not have significant propulsion or landing mechanisms that will make them appropriate for space travel; in other words, the space stations is something that you travel TO in outer space, rather than something that you travel WITH. Space shuttles are the vehicles that are meant to take you to a space station. Depending on the space mission, an astronaut could be assigned to stay there for weeks, months or, yes, years.

There have been many space stations in the past, but now we only have the one – the International Space Station. It is set to be completed by the year 2011, but even then, this space station is already in use. If Australia would be able to have a proper space program by then, then Australian astronauts may be able to properly experience being on a space station.