Kazakhstan 500 Tenge Silver Coin 2013 International Space Station
Series Space Coins - International Space Station
Obverse: the composition symbolized the unity of human being with the world and the connection between the past and present; the face value of the coin "500 ТЕҢГЕ"; trade mark of Kazakhstan Mint; the inscription of "Ag 925 14.6 gr. Та 26.8 gr." defining the metal which the coin is made of, its fineness and weight; two inscriptions "ҚАЗАҚСТАН РЕСПУБЛИКАСЫ" in Kazakh and "REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN" in English.
Reverse: the image of the International Space Station on Earth orbit and year of coinage "2013”; ISS emblem at upper sector; inscriptions «ХҒС» in Kazakh, «МКС» in Russian and «INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION» in English.
Bi-colored (composite) coin has the round form consisted of the concentric situated ring and disk. The internal disk of coin is made of tantalum; external ring is made of silver.
For the first time the technology of colour change of tantalum in production of a coin is applied.
Face value: 500 Tenge.
Date of issue: 18 October, 2013.
Lateral surface is grooved.
Weight: 41.4 g.
Fineness: Ag 925 14.6 ± 0.15 r/g Ta 999-26.8 ± 0.25 r/g.
Diameter: 38.61 mm.
Quality: proof.
Series Space Coins
Kazakhstan 500 Tenge Silver Coin 2013 International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. Its first component launched into orbit in 1998, and the ISS is now the largest artificial body in orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth. The ISS consists of pressurised modules, external trusses, solar arrays, and other components. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets as well as American Space Shuttles.
The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields. The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars. The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 330 and 435 km (205 and 270 mi) by means of reboost manoeuvres using the engines of the Zvezda module or visiting spacecraft. It completes 15.54 orbits per day.
ISS is the ninth space station to be inhabited by crews, following the Soviet and later Russian Salyut, Almaz, and Mir stations as well as Skylab from the US. The station has been continuously occupied for 15 years and 129 days since the arrival of Expedition 1 on 2 November 2000. This is the longest continuous human presence in space, having surpassed the previous record of 9 years and 357 days held by Mir. The station is serviced by a variety of visiting spacecraft: Soyuz, Progress, the Automated Transfer Vehicle, the H-II Transfer Vehicle, Dragon, and Cygnus. It has been visited by astronauts, cosmonauts and space tourists from 17 different nations.
After the US Space Shuttle programme ended in 2011, Soyuz rockets became the only provider of transport for astronauts at the International Space Station, and Dragon became the only provider of bulk cargo-return-to-Earth services (downmass capability of Soyuz capsules is very limited).
The ISS programme is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements. The station is divided into two sections, the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), which is shared by many nations. As of January 2014, the American portion of ISS was funded until 2024. Roscosmos has endorsed the continued operation of ISS through 2024, but has proposed using elements of the Russian Orbital Segment to construct a new Russian space station called OPSEK.
On 28 March 2015, Russian sources announced that Roscosmos and NASA had agreed to collaborate on the development of a replacement for the current ISS. NASA later issued a guarded statement expressing thanks for Russia's interest in future cooperation in space exploration, but fell short of confirming the Russian announcement.