It’s been 15 years since the first piece of what we now know as the International Space Station left the surface of our planet. It was Russia’s Zarya module, launched aboard a Proton rocket on Nov. 20, 1998, and the U.S. followed suit two weeks later with the Unity module sent aboard the shuttle Endeavour. Since then, in what is truly an international effort, the Station was assembled piece by piece until its ultimate ‘official’ completion in 2011 (more research instruments and upgrades have been added since then, of course.)

Orbiting the planet 16 times every day and consistently occupied since 2000, the ISS is not only an invaluable space research lab but also a testament to what we humans can do when we cooperate successfully and focus our energies and abilities toward a common goal, overcoming the challenges of national politics, economic difficulties, and even the barriers of language and culture. It is a lofty achievement, but the work that is done there each day is for the benefit of everyone.

And don’t forget about the view! Our planet is quite beautiful from 260 miles up — and the video above, assembled from time-lapse photos taken from the ISS and edited by David Peterson, shows that wonderfully. See a collection of photos taken from the Space Station here.

“Station is truly an engineering marvel and a testament to what we can accomplish when we all work together. I think one of the most enduring legacies will be the international cooperation we have achieved in building and operating it. It has provided us the framework for how we will move forward as we explore beyond our home planet, not as explorers from any one country, but as explorers from planet Earth.”

– Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana

Read more about the 15th anniversary of ISS here, and check out a cool infographic of Station facts and figures below:

Today’s milestone also serves as a halfway point for the projected 30-year program of the ISS.

“We are looking at another 15 years of operation potentially out to the end of the 2020s,  2028,” said Mike Raftery, director of ISS Utilization and Exploration for The Boeing Company. “This is going to be a really exciting time moving forward.”

Boeing is NASA’s prime contractor for the ISS and has designed and built all major U.S. modules. Read more here.

AND… Did you know you can see the ISS when it passes over your location? It’s easy — visit the Spot the Station site. Sign up for text notifications for daily ISS flyover news!