Why was the international space station launched?

Answer 1

According to NASA, International Space Station (ISS) was launched to be an observatory or laboratory in space. Although it was planned to provide maintenance, transportation for possible future missions to Moon, Mars and asteroids.

Answer 2

The International Space Station (ISS) was launched to serve as a space laboratory where scientific research can be conducted in a microgravity environment. It also serves as a platform for international collaboration in space exploration and as a testbed for technologies that will be needed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.