Learn about The International Space Station

In 1992 there was an essential step in the rapprochement between the Russian and American space programs with the signing of the agreement to carry out a joint mission between the U.S. shuttle and Mir.

The year after the agreement is signed and referred to jointly build the International Space Station or ISS, merging the projects of the Freedom and Mir 2. As part of the so-called Phase 1, the space shuttle is docked with Mir nine times and seven American astronauts remain there for several months between 1995 and 1998.

In addition nine Russian cosmonauts on the shuttle traveling on various missions. During this phase, both countries gain experience in coordinating their respective space programs, as well as the construction of the ISS: critical procedures are tested as a shuttle docking station, the module assembly, extravehicular activity joint testing of new technologies and so on.

At first, the first piece of the station was to be the Russian Service Module (SM), similar to the central module of the Mir, which would provide a workplace and home to three astronauts. The first American module Node 1 should be conceived as a docking module later Americans.

However, NASA did not look very favorably upon which the first module, and most important in the first stage, was Russian. In addition, aware of the shortcomings of the American side for storage of fuel and propulsion, proposed that the first piece was a service module Russian-built, very similar to the modules attached to Mir. Thus, the American won in logistics capacity.

Despite these setbacks, the November 20, 1998, two years later than planned, was launched from Baykonur Zarya module by a Proton rocket. In December, the shuttle Endeavour successfully docked with Unity during STS 88.

Despite this good start, NASA is aware of the dependence of the ISS Russian participation, long-term unpredictable, so it has increased its efforts to reduce it. This has encouraged the construction by ESA automatic load a vehicle (ATV, Ariane Transfer Vehicle) that can replace the Progress M, and created the X-38 program designed to provide NASA with a vehicle to the evacuation of the crew in an emergency, eliminating dependence on the Soyuz.

Given the economic problems, the Russian Space Agency to NASA decided to sell scientific participation in Russian laboratories for 60 million dollars in exchange for financial assistance to complete the SM-time, which Russia abandoned any involvement in the science developed in the ISS.

The ISS space lab is the most expensive and complex history. On board are carried out experiments in biology, material dynamics, Earth observation or astronomy among others. Besides Russia, the U.S., Japan and the ESA, are also involved Canada, Brazil and Ukraine, making the ISS in a global project.