The International Space Station is one of the most astonishing feats of mankind for many reasons. While the ability to constantly stay in orbit is an amazing feat of engineering the fact that the International Space Station ever came to existence is even more impressive. Read on to learn what makes the International Space Station the most impressive structure ever made.
The International Space Station (ISS) is the most expensive structure that mankind has ever built. Estimates suggest that it has cost US$160 billion to build with the cost continuing to grow as new compartments are added. For any person in the world to fund a $160 billion project would be impossible, after all, Jeff Bezos only has $90 billion to play around with. For one country to fund the project would also be difficult (although the US does spend nearly $600 billion per year on the military). To give an idea of how large a cost this is, NASA estimates it would cost $40 billion to put people on Mars.
The only reason for the success of the space station is because of the cooperation between numerous states. The European Union, Canada, Japan, Russia, and the US all funded the project. For a single country to commit a long term project like this while governments are continually changing and so focused on the short term would be remarkable. For the largest nations in the world to agree on the importance of the ISS and to start planning in 1998 less than 10 years after the Cold War ended is truly one of mankind’s greatest achievements.
While mankind has created many extraordinary landmarks like the Burj Khalifa and the great wall of china they are not on the same scale as the ISS. While the ISS is impressive for the technological feats used to create it and the discoveries it has allowed to take place, that it is not what makes it such an impressive object. The fact that governments could put their differences aside and dedicate $160 billion to this incredible project is what is truly amazing. If this level of cooperation could be continued there are no limits to the possibilities that lie ahead.
