History of the International Space Station through photos

Launched into space since 1998, until now the International Space Station (ISS) is still in the assembly phase. According to the plan, this process will be completed in 2011.

After months of delay, the first parts of the ISS were taken to space in November 1998.Photo: AP.

The first two compartments of the ISS are Zarya installed by Russia and Unity. In this photo, Zarya (distant) marched towards the Unity compartment to connect on December 6, 1998.Photo: NASA.

Astronaut James Newman (USA) performs the final steps in the process of connecting the first two compartments.Photo: NASA .

Image of two compartments after being connected.Photo: NASA .

Astronaut Tamara Jernigen made a seven-hour walk in space to install ISS components in May 1999.

ISS flies over Lake Baikal in Russia's Siberia region.Photo: EPA.

In October 2000, three astronauts from the US and Russia became the first to live on ISS. In the photo on astronaut Sergei K. Krikalev (Russia) prepares to take photos of some places on Earth in December 2000.

This is the first photo of ISS after it has new solar panels. The photo was taken on December 9, 2000.Photo: NASA .

In March 2001, the multipurpose transport compartment built by Italy began to take part in transporting goods to ISS.

The ISS machine arm joins the Quest Airlock compartment into the station in July 2001. This compartment consists of two cylindrical chambers that are joined together by a partition and a trapdoor. This is where astronauts prepare for space walks.Photo: EPA.

The astronauts photographed in the Destiny Experimental Laboratory of ISS on August 17, 2001.Photo: NASA.

Astronaut C. Michael Foale exercised in ISS on April 12, 2004.Photo: NASA.

Astronaut Stephen Robinson "rides" on a machine arm called Canadarm2 while shuttle Discovery connects with ISS in August 2005. With so many joints, this machine arm can lift a volume of goods up to 116,000 kg.Photo: NASA .

When ISS flew over New Zealand on 12/12/2006, two astronauts installed a new unit and upgraded the station's electrical network.Photo: NASA.

Space shuttle Endeavor connects with ISS on August 11, 2007.Photo: NASA.

The astronaut Keren Nyberg watched the earth through a window in the Kibo experimental compartment that had just been installed on June 10, 2008. At that time, ISS is connecting with space shuttle Discovery.Photo: NASA.

Photo of the Atlantis shuttle when it was about to connect with the ISS on February 9, 2008.Photo: NASA .

Astronaut Steve Bowen stepped out into space for 52 minutes to perform the installation and reinforcement of ISS equipment on November 18, 2008.Photo: NASA .

ISS photo taken from Space Shuttle Discovery in September 2009. The photo was taken after the train left the station to return to earth.Photo: AP .