The iconic cupola was an afterthought
The ISS performed its first orbit of Earth in 1998, but its famous cupola—dubbed the “window to the world,” wasn’t included as part of the station’s original design. Installed in 2010, the seven-window cupola was added to provide the crew with a superior view of Earth and space, and to improve astronaut morale. In what is another lesser known fact, the Cupola has protective shutters, which are closed when not in use to protect the windows from potential micrometeorite strikes, which could be catastrophic if they hit the glass.
