When Was the First Space Station Launched?

Salyut 1 was launched into low Earth orbit on 19 April 1971 as part of the Soviet space program. The first crew (Soyuz 10) failed to enter due to a docking hatch malfunction. The second crew (Soyuz 11) — cosmonauts Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev — successfully docked on 7 June and spent 23 days aboard, setting the endurance record for spaceflight. Tragically, all three died during re-entry on 30 June when a ventilation valve opened prematurely, depressurising their capsule. The US followed with Skylab in 1973. The Soviet Mir station (1986-2001) was the first modular space station. The International Space Station (ISS), a collaboration of 15 nations, has been continuously occupied since 2 November 2000 — the longest continuous human presence in space at over 25 years.