The bitter rivalry of the Space Race evolved to an era of cooperation following the Apollo Moon landings. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 brought the first international handshake in space as the two countries docked in Earth orbit during a joint mission promoting goodwill. The development of space stations Skylab, Salyut and Mir ushered in the changing role of space exploration and the role of scientific research. In 1981, on the 20th Anniversary of the flight of Yuri Gagarin, the U.S. Space Shuttle program took flight as the first reusable spacecraft and on its 20th Anniversary in 2001, has uncovered remarkable scientific and medical breakthroughs that continue to change life on Earth.

In October 2000, Expedition One left the planet for the under-construction International Space Station, marking the beginning of human permanence in space. The ISS, a nearly worldwide space effort, will, upon its completion, become the largest manmade object ever to orbit the Earth. Complete with nodes dedicated to all aspects of science, ISS will change the face of scientific and medical research and provide a permanent base in orbit, capable of supporting missions away from Earth whether that be a return to the Moon or a mission to Mars.