Zarya

Zarya, Russian for sunrise and also called the Functional Cargo Block, was the first module of the International Space Station. A Proton-K rocket launched it on 20 November 1998. In the station’s early years it supplied power, propulsion and guidance. It came from the TKS spacecraft design used in the Salyut programme. It was built in Russia but paid for by the United States. As the station grew, its job shifted mainly to storage, inside the module and in its external fuel tanks. Unity was connected to it two days after Unity’s launch, which was the first link between two station components.

Part of: International Space Station
Launched: 20 November 1998

Data as of 2 November 2026. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Events

23 April 2021

Crew-2
- Crew Dragon, Falcon 9
- Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, Thomas Pesquet
1 video
- Free Documentary – Space
20 November 1998

International Space Station
- Proton, Soyuz, Space Shuttle
The station is still in operation. Modules were built in Russia, the US and Europe, and the project grew out of a post-Cold War partnership. It is now due to be deorbited, with SpaceX named as the vehicle operator around 2030 in one video.
2 videos
- DW Documentary
- Curious Droid
International Space Station deorbit
- Cargo Dragon, Falcon 9, Soyuz, Space Shuttle, Starship
1 video
- The B1M