Group 4's comments (:

What is the International Space Station (ISS) and which countries are involved? How is it being built?

The International Space Station (ISS) is an internationally developed research facility that is being assembled in low Earth orbit.

Sixteen countries from around the world are involved. The international partners includes, the United States, Russia, Canda, Japan, Brazil, European Space Agency (Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland)

The United States and Russia are leading the effort by launching the components into the orbit. The real builders are the astronauts and cosmonauts are the ones who risk their lives to complete the assembling of parts in space. After the new modules are docked with the space station, crew members then will perform dangerous space walks ont he exterior to connect wires, deply antennas, and complete other maintenance tasks.

I think that the astronauts and cosmonauts are very brave to be willing to go out into space to carry out such an important and dangerous operation in the space as one mistake could be deadly.

How will the ISS benefit humanity?

Some people feel that the ISS's tremendous budget has taken funds away from robotic exploration and other science. However, the ISS is a resource that will guide us on our future human endeavors in space.

It is more than just an obligation to finish and then be disregarded. The planning and funding for its future should encompass the maximum utilization of its fullest potential.

How will the new "Tranquility" node benefit the ISS and why is it important?

Tranquillity is the third and last of the station’s US nodes which contains an advanced life support system to recycle waste water for crew use as well as to generate oxygen for the crew to breathe. Not only that,

the node also provides four berthing locations for more attached pressurised modules or crew transportation vehicles, in addition to the permanent berthing location for the station's Cupola.

Do you think the ISS is significant? Explain your opinion.

I think ISS is significant. With the presence of a permanent crew, the spacecraft itself would be managed very well. With that, scientists on earth would have immediate access to the data collected. The ISS provides a place whereby spacecraft systems are able to be tested out when it needs to be used for missions where great time is being spent to the moon and mars respectively. This would provide a experience for future improvisations. The risks taken would be greatly reduced and the capabilities of planning better spacecraft would be advanced. This programme, allows 14 nations to live and work together so as to provide multi-national missions.

With the help of the improvised ISS, I think it is definitely significant. Without it, we would not know what really happen in the universe and how does the whole universe thing really work. Thanks to the help of the space crew, we are able to live a worry-free life, able to know such as when meteriods or asteriods would hit us. ISS has play a important part in our lives. Hence, we should cherish the advanced space technology we have, and not take it fr granted.

By : Hongying, LiangHao, Jeslyn and Jiawen :D