 the first appearance of daylight what was formerly obscure now becomes defined it is a coming into existence a beginning the journey to the future humankind's reach for the cosmos began on the steps of central asia on october 4th 1957 with the launch of sputnik four years later fueled by the dreams of space pioneers Constantine Sholkovsky and robert goddard it was time for humans to leave the surface of our planet to break the shackles bonding humanity to the earth believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth as men and women learned how to live and work in space the superpowers discuss cooperative space projects and the use of space for the benefit of all humanity in the spring of 1971 the world's first space station solute is launched two years later skylab is placed in orbit in the meantime accords are signed between the superpowers to enable spacecraft from the two countries to rendezvous and link up in orbit for the first time the project is called apollo soya's in july 1975 after years of planning the joint effort succeeds and a new capability is formed dawn glimmers amidst a spirit of detente as apollo and soya's separated from one another in the velvet darkness of space the potential for future cooperation is left in concept but without a definitive shape meanwhile halfway around the world from one another both nations embark on new projects one centered around a reusable spaceship the other around a space station named mere the russian word for peace the complexion of the world transformed us and russian officials agree to map a journey of cooperative human spaceflight along with international partners representing a dozen nations by joining our efforts we are able to create a hole that is greater than the sum of its parts a bold three stage plan for the development of an international laboratory in space a research station a place where humans will use their collective talents to create new technologies for the benefit of people on earth while trying to better understand how to live and work in space an era of ideological differences between the world's two premier space faring nations ends over this new horizon dawn breaks again brighter than before the first phase of the international project will involve joint scientific and technical work between us and russian researchers aboard the mere space station up to 10 shuttle flights will be launched to link up to mere beginning in 1995 before that work begins two veteran russian cosmonauts will fly aboard the shuttle for the first time and an american astronaut will be launched aboard a soya's capsule to mere all will be engaged in scientific and medical research the joint shuttle mere missions will focus on the delivery of experiments and hardware in support of interim program objectives and technology demonstrations as well as life sciences and material sciences research in both shuttle based space lab workshops and mere science modules astronauts and cosmonauts will work side by side to perfect automated rendezvous and docking procedures for use on future flights and new upgraded solar power equipment will be installed on mere to enhance its capability systems to control the temperature and humidity aboard mere will be improved and onboard computers communications gear and stabilization systems will be replaced and refined to add to mere's overall capability and lifespan the refurbishment of mere will also optimize the station's laboratory environment to increase the quality of the microgravity research to be conducted by us and russian scientists the second step on the road to building the international outpost combines us and russian hardware to create a new advanced human tended orbital research facility this complex will significantly expand and enlarge the scientific activities initiated in the first phase of the project while forming the core around which the international space station will be constructed both american shuttles and russian boosters will lift components to the developing orbital complex a pressurized us laboratory module a russian service module docking nodes and environmental systems will be joined to two trusses the backbone of the facility which will also contain the solar arrays electrical systems and attitude and control hardware to maintain the station stability as the construction of the phase two station progresses crews of american and russian researchers will continue a program of microgravity science even more robust than that conducted during phase one the launch of a u.s laboratory to the phase two station and an expanded power supply will enable scientific experiments to be utilized for a variety of advanced technical experiments with its structural heart in place work on the third and final phase will begin to complete the construction of the international station the last phase will result in a permanent human presence in space with a full operational and research capability the international station will be used for at least a decade by american russian canadian japanese and european researchers a u.s habitation module three research modules and international research modules from japan and the european space agency will be added to the station along with a canadian-built mobile servicing system using robotic technology electricity to support the research plan for the international station will be significantly increased by a solar dynamic power system jointly designed by the u.s and russia occupied by a crew of six the international station will provide a precise microgravity environment for the work which will be conducted in all disciplines of materials and life sciences space conquest will have finally yielded space collaboration the international space station will be the catalytic action to define a new age an age where we don't spend billions of dollars building weapons as we work together but an age where we work together to make this planet a better place we hope that we can answer many questions we can't answer down on the earth and one g for instance that deal with uh cell development with how gravity affects our sense of balance uh physiological problems dealing with osteoporosis or neuro vestibular diseases uh crystallization processes that deal with every part of our electronics industry and our protein crystal industry together we'll be able to achieve faster medical results which are necessary for the treatment of people on earth that is indispensable that is the fruit of joint cooperation no one could have predicted the scientific benefits that have occurred with our limited time in space now with the potential for much greater time in space i think we can expect some unexpected discoveries that will have great benefit to the health of man here on earth you never know where new knowledge is going to take you but you also know from past experience new knowledge always becomes useful at some point i mean when electricity was first developed you know a couple of centuries ago nobody knew that we would be using it for an electric light bulb now that the world is changing in front of us quite new relations are being established between the united states and russia turning into new relations of partners into new relations which support each other in each and every field this cannot help but affect cooperation in space we are leaving a millennia defined by conflict and war by inventions of new weapons and as we enter a new millennia we have to learn on this very small planet how to live and work together sailing in the silent void of space at a speed of more than five miles a second men and women will conduct vital scientific research aboard the international space station occasionally gazing back at earth seeing no boundaries between nations only a singular home in the universe the international space station will have been built by humans from diverse cultures built by people speaking different languages built by pioneers possessing a common vision more than 200 miles above our planet the space station crosses from darkness into daylight it is dawn