Zarya (ISS module)
| Module statistics | |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1998-067A |
| Part of | International Space Station |
| Launch date | 20 November 1998, 06:40 UTC |
| Launch vehicle | Proton-K |
| Mass | 19,323 kg (42,600 lb) |
| Length | 12.56 m (41.2 ft) |
| Diameter | 4.11 m (13.5 ft) |
| Pressurised volume | 71.5 m3 (2,520 cu ft) |
| Configuration | |
Parts of Zarya, click for a closer look with captions | |
Zarya (Russian: Заря, lit. 'Sunrise'), also known as the Functional Cargo Block (Russian: Функционально-грузовой блок), is the first module of the International Space Station (ISS). Launched on 20 November 1998 atop a Proton-K rocket, the module would serve as the ISS's primary source of power, propulsion, and guidance during its early years. As the ISS expanded, Zarya's role shifted primarily to storage, both internally and in its external fuel tanks. A descendant of the TKS spacecraft used in the Salyut programme, Zarya was built in Russia but financed by the United States. Its name, meaning "sunrise," symbolizes the beginning of a new era of international space cooperation.