International Space Station

On November 20^th, 1998 the Russian Zarya Conrol Module was launched to become the first part of the International Space Station (ISS). Originally the Module was a Russian effort to replace the aging Mir Space Station. The Americans had Space Station Freedom in the plans and the European Space Agency (ESA) was planning the Columbus space station. Instead the three agencies as well as the Japanese, Canadian and Brazilian space agencies combined efforts to build one massive station. The Russians built the framework for the station and brought their experience from the Mir and its 7 small predecessors. The Americans provided much of the funding and provided most of the crew launches except between 2003 and 2005 when the American Space Program was suspended due to the fatal breakup on reentry of the space shuttle Columbia. The EUA is expected to launch their contribution to the space station, the Columbus Module, in 2007.

The station is still unfinished but research aboard is in full swing. In its 2437 days in orbit (as of August 26^th 2005) the station has been inhabited for 1759 days by a total of 100 people. Upon completion the ISS is expected to hold a crew of seven, opposed to its current max of three. As of 2005 the construction of the station is about half completed and is far behind schedule due to problems with the aging American shuttle fleet.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station

http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/ISS_OVR/

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/index.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISS_Zvezda

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Station_Freedom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_(ISS_module)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_International_Space_Station_visitors