International Space Station: A unique assemblage of aluminium and other metals, writes David Nixon

The International Space Station, located 250 miles above the earth, is an assemblage of aluminium, titanium, steel and Kevlar components, worth USD 160 billion. David Nixon, a British architect with special interest in space architecture, in his book has described it as a masterpiece of architecture and engineering which can be placed at par with the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Outside the constraints of earthbound gravity, structure of the space station follows different rules, Nixon writes. It has a different concept of “up” and “down”, and has the convincing quality of most objects designed to meet extreme functional imperatives.

Aluminium, by virtue of being lightweight and non-corrosive, finds use in a number of applications across industries. Presently, it is being used widely in automobiles, aircrafts, electrical grids and cables, packaging units, construction, and other appliances of substantial customer value. Its use in building the International Space Station has catapulted the metal to a whole new level altogether. With further innovation and widening of scope in end use applications, aluminium will soon become the mainstay of future infrastructural development.