The program and results of physical research in the international (5 countries) space experiment «The situation (1 stage)», conducted onboard the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) in the period 27.02.2013 to 09.05.2015, is presented. The methods and scientific tasks of the experiment and the composition of the Plasma-wave complex based on the combined wave diagnostics method are described in detail, and designed to conduct geophysical studies through long-term monitoring measurements of the electromagnetic parameters of the ionosphere plasma and plasma-wave processes associated with the manifestation in the ionosphere of the solar-magnetosphere-ionosphere and ionosphere-atmosphere relationships, i. e., parameters of space weather. Studies in the near-surface zone of plasma-wave processes of interaction of an extra-large spacecraft, like ISS, with the ionosphere are necessary for both applied and fundamental geophysical studies. The electric and magnetic fields and currents measured at the surface of the ISS are determined by the parameters of the surrounding ionosphere plasma and the nature of the interaction of the materials on the surface with this medium. Key words: orbital space station, fundamental space research, ionosphere plasma, plasma-wave processes, electromagnetic fields and radiation, scientific instrument, space weather.

this article presents EGSE architecture improvement from the 1980s until nowadays following hardware development. In EGSE development we looked for cost-effective solutions by applying available industrial products. We started EGSE development for VEGA-Halley mission in the 1980s, based on a microprocessor standalone system. The next stages of EGSE architecture were based on IBM compatible PCs with dedicated interface cards. The subsequent generation of EGSE consisted of two physical units, one was a commercial computer and the other one was an embedded processor card for signal level simulation. There was a serial communication line between the units. The fourth generation of EGSE contains high speed bus for internal communication and the use of embedded processor made simulation and data acquisition possible in real-time. The software was developed in assembly in the first generation of EGSE. The further operating software runs on a distributed intelligence system containing Windows and real-time Linux platforms.

The exploration and examination of near-Earth space helps us better understand our solar system and deeply affects our everyday life in areas such as telecommunications, Earth observation, and weather forecasting. Toward that end, scientists developed the onboard data acquisition and control system of the Obstanovka (Russian for environment) experiment in the Russian segment of the International Space Station. Obstanovka, developed by nine teams from different countries, employs 11 sensors to study how the Sun, magnetosphere, and ionosphere influence Earth's weather.