Current Context : Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has taken command of the International Space Station (ISS) and is leading the orbiting laboratory for the second time.

• NASA has announced that Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has handed over the command of the ISS to Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams .

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 

• The ISS program involves international crews, multiple launch vehicles, and extensive cooperation between research communities across the globe.
• It is a joint project of NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA.
• The ISS conducts experiments in various fields like biology, physics, and astronomy that would be impossible on Earth due to gravity.
• Orbit: The ISS orbits Earth at an altitude of 400 km (248 miles).