In 2008, NASA awarded contracts to deliver cargo to the International Space Station to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation.

FORBES: Dragon Returns To Earth With 'Space Fish,' Toothpaste Research

Despite the initiative's youth, Buckley said the CIHR is excited about gaining more access to the station's orbital laboratory, where health research is performed by space residents.

MSN: Astronaut study holds promise for the elderly here on Earth

The first orbital voter was astronaut David Wolf in 1997 while he was on board the Mir Space Station.

FORBES: How Astronauts Vote From The International Space Station

The Skylab program (1973-79), established our first true space station and demonstrated human abilities to adapt and undertake productive work under orbital weightless conditions.

FORBES: Does The United States Still Care About Space Leadership?

This includes a completely different propulsion system, larger solar panels, and also the orbital module (which is designed to function on its own, as a sort of space station, for six to eight months).

ECONOMIST: China in space

While the Air Force has stated that the vehicle is meant only for conducting orbital science experiments, analysts say the X-37B is capable of much more, and could perform additional tasks such as acting as an orbital spy, sneaking up on and tampering with enemy satellites or hauling small batches of supplies to the International Space Station.

ENGADGET: Air Force X-37B space plane books additional time on orbital cruise, orders another margarita