1. The International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is many things depending upon your perspective. It is a premier example of engineering excellence on a scale that we have seldom achieved before. It is both a Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering masterpiece. It is a monumental political statement of cooperation between nations. And it is one of the best examples of what mankind can do in a totally indifferent and hostile environment. As you look at the following pictures think about how un-natural and challenging the assembly of the ISS has been. How wonderful that nations from WWII and the “Cold War Era” would cooperate in such a remarkable and grand manner. And then there are the vistas that you can not avoid as you pass over the Earth. Everything you do is in full view of a spectacular Earth that is rotating below you. Ponder these things as you view the following photos. What else comes to mind ?