RSA will be a co-leader among the various agencies. It will provide early life support systems, docking ports, and additional propulsion. A Russian cargo crane will be mounted on the service module and will assist early maintenance spacewalks. The Soyuz shuttle will arrive at the ISS Jan. 2000, and will be used as an emergency return pod. Two Russian laboratories with their own equipment will be added late in construction.
Construction is now underway in Germany.
It will incorporate an Italian design, and will be launched by an American shuttle. Participation is the only way to ensure that commercially vital cutting-edge technologies will be available to them. The CSA will contribute components, which will aid in external maintenance, and construction. Bill Shepherd, an American astronaut, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergi Krikalev, both Russian cosmonauts will remain on the ISS for a period of five months. During their stay they will monitor systems and await three separate shuttle deliveries.