Top 10 Space Stations in the World – Ranking of World Space Stations

Introduction

A space station, also known as an orbital station or space laboratory, is a crewed spacecraft designed for long-term operation in low Earth orbit, allowing multiple astronauts to live, work, and conduct research. Do you know which space stations exist worldwide? Here are the ​​top 10 space stations globally​​, including the International Space Station (ISS), Tiangong Space Station, Salyut 1, Skylab, Mir Space Station, Salyut 7, Tiangong-1, and more.

Top 10 Space Stations in the World

1. International Space Station
2. Tiangong Space Station
3. Salyut 1
4. Skylab
5. Mir Space Station
6. Salyut 7
7. Tiangong-1
8. Salyut 6
9. Tiangong-2
10. Salyut 4

Top 10 Space Stations in the World – An Overview

1. International Space Station – Largest Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest space station to date, jointly built, operated, and utilized by 16 countries, making it the most extensive, time-consuming, and multinational space cooperation project in history. Since its construction began in 1998, it entered full operational phase in 2010. The ISS is primarily operated by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency. Currently, the ISS is severely aging, and its operational agreement is set to expire in 2024, marking the countdown to its retirement.

2. Tiangong Space Station

Among the two existing orbital space stations, one is the International Space Station, and the other is China’s Tiangong Space Station, one of the world’s most advanced. By 2024, Tiangong will become the only operational space station in orbit. It consists of the core module, Mengtian and Wentian lab modules, manned spacecraft, and cargo spacecraft, supporting long-term stays for three astronauts and various scientific experiments. Notably, the Tianhe core module, with a length of 18.1 meters and a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters, set two world records as the largest and heaviest single-module space station compartment.

3. Salyut 1 – Humanity’s First Space Station

Chronologically, Salyut 1, launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1971, ranks as the world’s first space station. After orbital adjustments, it successfully docked on June 7, 1971, allowing three astronauts to enter. Tragically, during their return on June 29, 1971, a pressure valve failure caused decompression, resulting in the deaths of all three crew members. Salyut 1 burned up in the atmosphere on October 11, 1971.

4. Skylab – USA’s First Orbital Space Station

Skylab, one of the world’s four major space stations, was America’s first Earth-orbiting station. From May 1973 to February 1974, three crews of three astronauts each were transported via Apollo spacecraft. After the third crew landed on February 8, 1974, Skylab was deactivated. During its service, it achieved significant astronomical results, conducting over 270 experiments and capturing 180,000 solar activity images and 40,000 ground photos, along with prolonged weightlessness physiology and material processing studies.

5. Mir Space Station – First Long-term Habitable Space Station

The Mir Space Station, built by the Soviet Union and later operated by Russia, was humanity’s first long-term habitable space research center and the first third-generation space station. Orbiting for 15 years, it set multiple records: longest space operation, longest overtime service, highest efficiency, and most international astronauts hosted (104 crew members completed over 20 research programs and 22,000 experiments), advancing space module construction and life support technologies.

6. Salyut 7 – Final Station of the Salyut Program

Salyut 7 operated from April 1982 to February 1992 as the last station in the Soviet Salyut program, succeeded by Mir. It hosted 28 astronauts across 11 crews, including the first female spacewalker, Svetlana Savitskaya. In 1984, it set a record with three astronauts continuously orbiting for 237 days. During its 1,250-day manned operation, it achieved “trinity” docking with 10 spacecraft including cargo ships and Soyuz vehicles.

7. Tiangong-1 – China’s First Space Laboratory

Tiangong-1 was China’s first target spacecraft and space laboratory, marking the second phase of China’s three-step space strategy. As an experimental platform, it conducted Earth environment monitoring, space environment detection, and colloid crystal growth experiments, generating valuable data applied in resources, agriculture, oceanography, atmospheric studies, and materials science.

8. Salyut 6 – Soviet Union’s Long-duration Station

Launched on September 29, 1977, Salyut 6 was the Soviet Union’s practical space station and then the largest spacecraft. It operated for 4 years and 10 months before re-entering the atmosphere on July 29, 1982. Docking with 31 spacecraft (including 12 cargo ships), it hosted 33 astronauts from Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries, accumulating 676 days of inhabited operation and completing over 120 scientific experiments.

9. Tiangong-2 – China’s First Supply-capable Space Lab

Tiangong-2 was China’s second target spacecraft and first space lab with replenishment capability, docking with Shenzhou-11 and Tianzhou-1 to validate space station technologies. Launched on September 15, 2016, it re-entered the atmosphere on July 19, 2019. It pioneered pulsar-based orbit determination using Crab Nebula signals, advancing pulsar observation and navigation technology.

10. Salyut 4 – Soviet Orbital Research Station

Salyut 4, launched on December 26, 1974, hosted the Soyuz-17 crew for 30 days starting January 12, 1975. It conducted Earth resource observations, astrophysical studies, plant experiments, and pioneered teletype signal transmission. After 768 orbital days (93 manned), it re-entered the atmosphere on February 16, 1976.