NASA celebrates 25 years since the launch of the first two components of the International Space Station, marking the beginning of a global venture that has brought together 273 individuals from 21 countries. The microgravity lab has hosted over 3,700 research and educational investigations from people in 108 countries and regions.
Left: Launch of space shuttle Endeavour from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the STS-88 mission to deliver the Unity Node 1 module. Middle: The STS-88 crew. : The Unity Node 1 module being lifted out of the cargo bay.
On Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, 1998, Zarya and Unity were launched into orbit as the first two modules of the International Space Station. On Dec. 6, 1998, the space shuttle Endeavour STS-88 team, NASA astronauts Bob Cabana, Rick Sturckow, Nancy Currie, Jerry Ross, and James Newman, along with Russian Space Agency (now Roscosmos) cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, captured the Zarya module with the space shuttle’s robotic arm and mated it to Unity.
Left: Zarya has been mated with Unity in the shuttle’s cargo bay and astronauts are outside making connections between the two modules. : The space station’s first two elements after delivery from the space shuttle.
Since the joining of Zarya and Unity, the International Space Station has grown with additions from international partners, resulting in a bustling orbital station and microgravity lab. Now, more than ever, usage, improvements, and results are accumulating for the benefit of humanity.
The International Space Station as it appeared in 2021, compared to Zarya and Unity at the same scale in the inset.
