International Space Station -- Discovery.com

Explore the Space Station User's Guide at our new space reference site.

MISSION BRIEFING: Home, Sweet (Space) Home

VIRTUAL TOUR: Climb inside some of the first pieces of the station.

GO TO RUSSIAN SPACE CAMP: Join our writer as she trains with the cosmonauts.

Tour the Zvezda Service Module with astronaut Bill Shepherd.

Flight 1R: Mir's Cousin
This Mir-like, Russian-designed Service Module, named "Zvezda," serves as the heart and brains of the early station. It provides all life support and system functions for the first few years. Its sleeping areas, kitchen and toilet are home sweet home for the station's first crew, due to arrive in late 2000. It takes over guidance, propulsion and reboosting from Zarya. The Service Module will be a port for the dozens of Russian Progress resupply vehicles. Mission controllers connect it to Zarya and Unity by remote control.

Launch date: July 2000
Launch vehicle: Russian Proton rocket
Launch complex: Baikonur Cosmodrome

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