November 20, 1998 – the first component of the International Space Station, the Zarya Functional Cargo Block, was launched by a Proton-K rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Zarya provided storage, electricity, and guidance systems to the space station during its early life.
Zarya was originally intended to be a component of the Russian Mir space station, but funding issues cancelled those plans. Through funding by the United States, the module was eventually repurposed for the ISS program; therefore, it is owned by NASA.
November 20, 1998 – the first component of the International Space Station, the Zarya Functional Cargo Block, was launched by a Proton-K rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Zarya provided storage, electricity, and guidance systems to the space station during its early life.
Zarya was originally intended to be a component of the Russian Mir space station, but funding issues cancelled those plans. Through funding by the United States, the module was eventually repurposed for the ISS program; therefore, it is owned by NASA.
