The 20th anniversary of the launch of the Zarya module is coming up this year. An article in Russian about it:
https://www.roscosmos.ru/24529/The article gives a history of the station. If you don't know Russian there are some cool pictures and you can use google translate on it to read it.
While some of us, me included, complain about being stuck in LEO for too long; it has been an interesting 20 years to witness living in space becoming somewhat routine. It is also hard to believe it has been twenty years.
Zarya (FGB) launched on this day, 20 years ago, on mission ISS 1R/A on a Proton-K.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/20-years-ago-iss-construction-beginshttps://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1064795344775589888Personally, I didn't start following its developments until a few years later (~2004), but I still remember the many hours I spent learning about its amazing complexity (not only technical) and watching assembly activities during several years.
Cheers for the engineering and political success it's been so far, the improved utilization seen in the last few years, the LEO market it has spawned through COTS/CRS/CC and the change of everyday perspective it has brought along, despite the many stalls, disappointments and setbacks along the way.
Here's hoping to a continuation of this success, the return of a full 6-7 person crew and the resumption of the Russian Segment's expansion - and hopefully a continued, comprehensive and operational utilization phase that finally brings multitude of cutting-edge science advancements beyond the achieved breakthroughs in LEO astronautics.
Zarya launch and pictures taken from Space Shuttle Endeavour
I have been waiting for a long time to post this... a friend from Rockledge, FL who's aunt worked in the Chief of the Astronaut Office (?) was able to snag this for me shortly after landing, exactly 20 years ago.