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European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti – back on Earth after 200 days in space – tells the full story of the International Space Station.

The International Space Station, in orbit 400 km above our planet, has been continuously occupied for 15 of its 17 years in orbit. Astronauts can perform science experiments in European and Japanese laboratories, operate a Canadian robotic arm, exercise on an American treadmill and eat dinner at a Russian table. It is a place where, every day, Russia and America work together as allies.

Samantha Cristoforetti, from Italy, made the International Space Station her home between November 2014 and June 2015. In A ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in Space, she examines this international collaboration – its history, politics, tragedies and compromises – using original interviews, archive material and first-hand accounts from those who helped negotiate, build and inhabit the Space Station.

We also hear about the vision for the vast space ship, around the size of a football pitch, which is slated to be abandoned in 2024. Cristoforetti explores the possibilities of a replacement, private space stations, a Moon base or missions to Mars.

Hear from European, US and Russian astronauts as well as key figures involved in the construction of the Space Station, space historians and scientists.

A Boffin Media production for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service. Airing as part of Space Week on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service.Image: Samantha Cristoforetti at Star City near Moscow during her training. Credit: /AFP/Getty Images