NASA leads the U.S. segment of the ISS, a science laboratory that has circled the planet continuously since November 2000. Assembly began in 1998 with the launch of the station's first module, and it has grown into the largest human-built structure ever flown in space.
NASA operates the Destiny laboratory module, the Unity and Harmony connecting nodes, the Quest airlock used for U.S. spacewalks, and the Cupola observation dome. Mission Control in Houston runs U.S. operations around the clock and handles the station's public video downlink.
Since 2020, NASA's Commercial Crew Program has flown astronauts aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon, restoring the ability to launch people to orbit from U.S. soil. Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is being developed as a second Commercial Crew vehicle. Cargo resupply runs through NASA-contracted vehicles including SpaceX's Dragon and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus.
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On the night side of each orbit there isn't enough sunlight for the external cameras to show much. Since the station completes an orbit roughly every 90 minutes, daylight returns quickly.
Yes — under the right conditions it's visible to the naked eye as a fast, steady point of light, no telescope needed. NASA's own tool for this is called Spot The Station, available at spotthestation.nasa.gov.
Atmospheric drag slowly pulls the ISS lower, so visiting cargo spacecraft periodically fire their engines to boost it back up.