Right now, about 250 miles above your head, scientists are orbiting the planet in the International Space Station (ISS), but have you ever stopped to consider what that station is for?

This floating science lab was born in 1998, when the first two parts of it were launched.

Since then, various components have been shot into space and added one by one, and it's still a work in progress.

By the time the ISS is complete, it will be about as long as a football field and its end zones; and its volume will be larger than a five bedroom house.

But why build a space station? Is it just a novelty?

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin says NASA is now focusing its manned space program on leaving Earth's orbit and journeying into the rest of the solar system to explore and make scientific discoveries.

The ISS will be a key part of achieving that goal.

"On the space station, we will learn how to live and work in space. We will learn how to build hardware that can survive and function for the years required to make the round-trip voyage from Earth to Mars," says Griffin (for more of what Griffin has to say about space exploration, click on the link below).

On October 23rd, the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch so it can dock with the ISS and deliver the Harmony module.

Harmony is another building block for the ISS with life support equipment and additional living space so that more crew members can stay on the ISS.

Harmony will also provide a hub where more pieces of the station will soon be added.

Because of the International Space Station’s reflective solar panels, it’s easily seen from Earth with the naked eye.

You can find out when it will fly past your house by clicking on the link below.

You’ll need to enter your city, click “Submit”, and then click on “10 day predictions for: ISS”.