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The International Space Station:
Assembling a World-Class Orbiting Laboratory
 
Phase One of the International Space Station Program 
Phases Two and Three 
Launches of Early Station Components and the First Crew  
Science Activities and Future Exploration  
Zarya 
Unity 
Fun Facts 
 
The United States is leading the global community in the construction of the International Space Station, paving the way for peaceful cooperation in space exploration in the next century. The largest scientific and technological endeavor ever undertaken, the station is taking shape in facilities, factories and laboratories in the U.S. and around the world.

The project is so complex that no one nation could tackle it alone. Sixteen nations-the U.S., Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom-have banded together in one of the largest non-military joint efforts in history. The program involves more than 100,000 people at space agencies and hundreds of contractor and subcontractor companies around the world.

On-orbit assembly begins in 1998, with the new star appearing in the night sky and growing brighter as each additional component is delivered to space. The space station is scheduled for completion in 2004.

With the International Space Station, a permanent laboratory will be established in a realm where gravity, temperature and pressure can be manipulated to achieve numerous scientific and engineering pursuits that are impossible in ground-based laboratories. The space station will be a test bed for the technologies of the future and a laboratory for research on new, advanced industrial materials, communications technology, medical research and much more.

Curator: Kim Dismukes | Responsible NASA Official: John Ira Petty | Updated: 04/07/2002
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