Zarya, the FGB Module

07-21-10

The Zarya Module, also known by the technical term Functional Cargo Block and the Russian acronym FGB, was the first component launched for the International Space Station. This module was designed to provide the station's initial propulsion and power. The 19,323-kilogram (42,600-pound) pressurized module was launched on a three stage Russian, Proton booster in November 1998.

The U.S.-funded and Russian-built Zarya, which means " Sunrise " when translated in English, is a U.S. component of the station, although it was built and launched by Russia . The module was built by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center which is also known as KhSC, in Moscow under a subcontract to The Boeing Company NASA. Only weeks after Zarya reached orbit, Space Shuttle Endeavour made a rendezvous called Node 1, or Unity. The Zarya Module provided orientation control, communication for Node 1 while the station awaited launch of the third component, a Russian-provided the Zvezda Service Module. The Service Module enhanced or replaced man primarily for its storage capacity and external fuel tanks.

The Zarya Module is 12.6 meters (41.2 feet) long and 4.1 meters (13.5 feet wide) at its least 15 years. Its solar arrays and six nickel-cadmium batteries can provide an aver, ports accommodate Russian Soyuz piloted spacecraft and unpiloted Progress re-supply meters (35 feet) long and 3.4 meters (11 feet) wide. The module's 16 fuel tanks coming propellant. The attitude control system for the module includes 24 large steering jets available for reboosting the spacecraft and making major orbital changes before Zvezda.

Construction of the Zarya Module began at KhSC in December 1994. It was shipped site to begin launch preparations in January 1998. The three-stage Proton rocket launched into a (137- by 211-statute mile) orbit. During launch, the module's systems were in an idle initial elliptical orbit and separating from the Proton's third stage, a set of pre-program systems and deployed the solar arrays and communications antennas. Using the Russian Kurs system, the Zarya performed an automated and remotely piloted rendezvous and docking with the Service Module in orbit. After several days of operational test, the module was commanded to fire its engines and circularize its orbit at an altitude of about 386.2 kilometers (240 statue miles) the orbit at which Endeavour made rendezvous and captured the spacecraft to attach it to the U. S. built Unity Node.

Russian ISS Segement Development Credit NASA & Roskosmos

Russian ISS Segement Development Credit NASA