The Space Station Is - Finally - Truly International

摘要

The acronym ISS could now stand for "International Success Story" as well as international space station. This may come as a big surprise after years -even decades - of doubt about the fate of this huge and expensive project, which happens to be the largest peacetime international scientific and technical program ever undertaken. The project was started in 1984 with the initiative of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, asking Canadian, European and Japanese leaders to join the United States in the development of a large orbital research facility, able to dwarf the existing and forthcoming Soviet space stations; the plan was to have the facility in operation by 1992!