On this night in science
The first piece of the space station
November 20, 1998
On this day in 1998, a rocket lifted off from Kazakhstan carrying Zarya, the very first piece of the International Space Station. More pieces were added one at a time over the years that followed, joined together in orbit like building blocks.
Why it mattered
Zarya gave the young station its power and kept it pointed the right way while the next pieces arrived.
Wonder together
If you were building a home in space one piece at a time, which room would you add first?
There's an episode about this
International Space Station: Sixteen Sunrises
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11:31
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