2010: Anticipated completion of the International Space Station

The partner states involved in the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) have predicted its completion to take place in 2010.

The process of assembly will require 16 shuttle flights and the collaboration of the United States, Russia, Japan, and various European states.

The completed ISS will be 110 meters wide and 88 meters long, with a mass of more than 450,000 kilograms. It will be fitted with almost half a hectare of solar panels to provide energy self-sufficiency to six laboratories. The research capability that the station will generate will far surpass any previously seen in space.

Links:

NASA on the Space Station construction
ISS Configuration
Virtual tour of the ISS