The Assembly: Complete Assembly of the ISS and Information on each ISS module

The Assembly: Complete Assembly of the ISS and Information on each ISS module
ISS's Current Development By the end of this year, most of the components required for the first seven Space Shuttle missions to assemble the International Space Station will have arrived at the Kennedy Space Center. The Service Module, is scheduled to be shipped from Moscow to the Kazakstan launch site February 1999.
Space Tugboat: Zarya Control Module: 1A/R; Proton Launched Nov. 20, 1998, by a Russian Proton Rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakstan, Zarya is essentially an unpiloted space "tugboat" that will provide early propulsion, steering and communications for the station's first months in orbit. Later, Zarya becomes little more than a station passageway, docking port and fuel tank. Zarya was built by Russia under contract to the U.S. and is owned by the U.S.
	Building Block: Unity Connecting Module: 2A; STS-88 Shuttle Mission STS-88was launched Dec. 4, 1998, aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Unity module is a six-sided connector for future station components. This will be the first of about 36 planned Space Shuttle flights to assemble the station. Endeavour's crew will rendezvous with the already orbiting Zarya module and attach it to Unity. The shuttle crew will then finish the connections during three days of spacewalks. The crew also will enter the interior of Unity and Zarya to complete assembly work. Unity provides six attachment ports, one on each side, to which all future U.S. modules will join. When Endeavour detaches and returns home on Dec. 12, Unity and Zarya will be fully linked together in orbit to form the fledgling, as yet unpiloted, International Space Station.
Cargo Flight: Space Shuttle Logistics Flight: 2A.1; STS-96 Shuttle Mission STS-96 was launched on May 27 1999 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Shuttle Discovery rendezvoused and docked with the new station carrying supplies to be transferred to the interior. This was the second Space Shuttle flight to assemble the station. Discovery's crew brought supplies for the next component to launch, the Russian Service Module, as well as additional equipment for the Unity and Zarya modules. The station remained unpiloted after Discovery undocked and returned home.
Living Quarters: Service Module: 1R; Proton To be launched in November 1999 on a Russian Proton Rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakstan, the Service Module is the first fully Russian station contribution and the core of the Russian station segment. Launched without people aboard, it will dock with the orbiting Zarya and Unity by remote control. The Service Module provides living quarters, life support, navigation, propulsion, communications and other functions for the early station. Its guidance and propulsion systems take over those functions from the Zarya module, which now becomes a passageway from Unity to the Service Module.
Second Cargo Flight: Space Shuttle Logistics Flight: 2A.2; STS-101 Shuttle Mission STS-101 is slated to be launched in December 1999 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will dock with the station carrying supplies to be transferred to the interior. This will be the third Shuttle flight for station assembly. The shuttle crew will be the first people to ever enter the orbiting Service Module as the astronauts transfer supplies from the docked Shuttle to the space station. The station will remain unpiloted after the shuttle undocks.
Gyroscopes: First Exterior Framework: 3A; STS-92 Shuttle Mission STS-92 is scheduled to be launched in February 2000 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Space Shuttle Discovery will carry the first exterior framework for the station, a piece of the girder-like station truss, and an additional, conical station docking adapter. This will be the fourth Shuttle mission for assembly of the station. The framework houses critical electronic equipment, including gyroscope systems that eventually will replace thrusters to maintain the station's stability and communications equipment. Although attached on this flight, these systems will not be usable until later in assembly. The shuttle's robotic arm will be used to attach the framework, called a Z-1 Truss, and docking adapter. Afterward, astronauts will perform four days of spacewalks. Discovery will leave the station uninhabited.
	Solar Power: First U.S. Solar Panels: 4A; STS-97 Shuttle Mission STS-97 is planned to be launched in March 2000 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will carry the first giant solar arrays and batteries for the station. This will be the fifth Shuttle flight to assemble the station. Eventually, four such sets of solar panels will be on the station with a total acre of surface area. Endeavour's crew will conduct two spacewalks to complete connections of the solar arrays. After this mission, the station will be ready for arrival of its first crew. Power from this first set of arrays sets the stage for a major expansion, arrival of the first laboratory.
Research Lab: U.S. Laboratory Module: 5A; STS-98 Shuttle Mission STS-98 is scheduled to be launched in April 2000, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Shuttle Endeavour will carry the first station laboratory, built by the U.S. and the centerpiece of future research activity on the International Space Station. This will be the sixth Shuttle flight to assemble the station. Discovery will use its robotic arm to maneuver the new laboratory into position on the station. Discovery's crew will then perform three spacewalks to finish the installation.
Third Cargo Flight: Space Shuttle Logistics Flight: 5A.1; STS-102 Shuttle Mission STS-102 is to be launched in June 2000 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Space Shuttle Discovery will dock with the station carrying supplies and equipment racks housed in an Italian-built logistics module to be transferred to the interior. This will be the seventh Shuttle flight to assemble the station. The equipment will outfit the U.S. Laboratory module.
	Robot Arm: Lab Equipment and Canadian Robotic Arm: 6A; STS-100 Shuttle Mission STS-100 is to be launched in July 2000 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the Shuttle Atlantis will carry two foreign-built station components aloft: a new station robotic arm built by Canada and the Italian Leonardo logistics module. This will be the eighth Shuttle mission to assemble the station. The new station arm will be attached during the mission. The logistics carrier will be attached to the station, unloaded and then returned to Earth on Atlantis. The logistics carrier will bring equipment to finish the interior construction of the U.S. laboratory. The Canadian robotic arm will assist with most future assembly activities.
Station Airlock: Early Assembly Phase Completed: 7A; STS-104 Shuttle mission STS-104 will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in August 2000, the Space Shuttle Endeavour will carry aloft the U.S.-built International Space Station airlock on the ninth Shuttle assembly mission. After it is attached, the airlock will enable the station crew to conduct spacewalks on their own, without a Shuttle present, using either U.S. or Russian spacesuits. The addition of the airlock signals the completion of the early phase of station assembly in orbit, and means that the orbiting station has taken on a degree of self-sufficiency and capabilities for full-fledged research in the attached laboratory module.
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