On July 26, 2000 the Russian-made Zvezda module docked with the U.S.-made Unity and the Russian-made Zarya modules, creating the International Space Station. A few days later, Zvezda's computers took control of the station to ensure that it stays in its correct orbit. The first mission to the station was launched in November 2000.
The ISS, the successor to the Soviet Mir station, has been operational for ten years. It consists of several research modules, created by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which are connected by infrastructure modules deployed by the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos).
Nearly $150 billion has been invested in the project to date, and there has been skepticism about the merit of the ISS's expensive research programs in the Western media from the start.
The Russian space community has other concerns regarding the ISS, first among them being that Roscosmos is used as a freight transportation company for the Western space agencies and that the Russian modules, including Zvezda, serve as warehouses and infrastructure elements.
RIA Novosti
