Zarya Launch

Zarya, the first component of the International Space Station (ISS), launched flawlessly at 1:40 a.m. (EST) on November 20, 1998, from Kazakhstan. Atop a Russian Proton rocket, the Zarya Module was lifted into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The STS-88 astronauts and the Space Shuttle Endeavour will link up with the module next month. This will begin the multi-year assembly of the ISS. Photo Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.