Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 143. Chapters: Scientific research on the International Space Station, Space debris, Exploration of Io, Exploration of Mars, Search for extraterrestrial intelligence, Atmospheric entry, Colonization of the Moon, Space colonization, Asteroid, Space architecture, Chandrayaan-1, Unmanned NASA missions, List of space agencies, Interstellar travel, Space exploration, Exploration of Jupiter, Observations and explorations of Venus, Non-rocket spacelaunch, Mars to Stay. Excerpt: Scientific Research on the International Space Station is a collection of experiments that require one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit. The primary fields of research include human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology. The 2005 NASA Authorization Act designated the American segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory with the goal of increasing the use of the ISS by other federal agencies and the private sector. Research on the ISS improves knowledge about the effects of long-term space exposure on the human body. Subjects currently under study include muscle atrophy, bone loss, and fluid shift. The data will be used to determine whether space colonisation and lengthy human spaceflight are feasible. As of 2006, data on bone loss and muscular atrophy suggest that there would be a significant risk of fractures and movement problems if astronauts landed on a planet after a lengthy interplanetary cruise (such as the six-month journey time required to fly to Mars). Large scale medical studies are conducted aboard the ISS via the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). Prominent among these is the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity study in which astronauts (including former ISS Commanders Leroy Chiao and Gennady Padalka) perform ultrasound...