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1993: Crisis and rebirth

As President Clinton moved into the Oval Office in January, NASA was directed to redesign the space station Freedom again to keep annual spending on the project within $2.1 billion. NASA redesign team, established on March 10, came up with three options known as A, B, and C, however none of them would meet the projected budget restrictions. At the time, Russian Space Agency proposed NASA to merge Freedom and Mir-2 projects. The inclusion of the Mir-2 core module into the Freedom design would allow early presence of the crew onboard, while the use of Progress cargo ships would provide much cheaper and reliable refueling and supply capabilities for the station, comparing to the use of the Space Shuttle. On Sept. 2 Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin and US Vice President Al Gore signed an agreement to merge Freedom and Mir-2 projects. At the time, the launch of the first component was expected in May 1997.

1994: Jump start

By November 28, NASA and Russian Space Agency established the new assembly sequence reflecting, the inclusion of the Mir-2 components. The launch of the first element, Zarya control module, was now officially scheduled for November 1997, the assembly was planned to be completed by June 2002. The construction of the Zarya module started at Khrunichev enterprise in December.

1995: Mir's legacy

By 1995, Russia firmly decided to abandon its plans to use the Zenit rocket for the launch of the Science and Power Platform, NEP. As a result, NASA agreed to launch the element onboard the Space Shuttle. RSA also considered the transfer of the Mir's newest modules, Spektr and Priroda to the ISS as Russia's research modules. In December, as US astronauts took residence onboard Mir space station, Russian Space Agency proposed NASA to use Mir as a base for the ISS assembly. NASA rejected the idea.

1996: Troubles ahead

By the end of 1996, around 70 tons of the US hardware appeared in metal despite technical difficulties and around $200 million in cost overruns. However, in Russia, the construction of the service module fell behind schedule due to lack of funds. In the fall Russian Space Agency informed NASA that it will not able to launch the service module in April 1998. In response, in December, NASA initiated the development of the Interim Control Module, ICM, based on the propulsion module of a classified military satellite.

1997: Struggling to stay afloat

In April, giving the uncertainty surrounding the Russian contribution into the program, NASA requested the Congress to create a new line item called Russian Program Assurance, RPA, in the agency's budget, to finance the construction of Interim Control Module, ICM and other "contingency" options. For 1997 fiscal year, the Congress approved $200 million as the RPA spending. The launch of the first element of the station was pushed from November 1997 to June 1998. At the same time, Russian delays gave NASA additional time for on-ground testing of the US hardware, as a result significantly reducing the risk of costly integration problems during the orbital assembly.

A complete chronology of ISS missions

Future ISS assembly missions

1998: Taking off

As Russian participants in the project continued to struggle with delayed funding, US elements fell behind schedule due to technical problems. In January, during the Council of Chief Designers in Russia, it was indicated that the launch of the service module will be delayed beyond previously expected four months. Yet, the same month, Zarya control module was shipped to Baikonur to be processed at Site 254 in preparation for launch. In October, NASA and Russian Space Agency has agreed to launch the first element (Zarya) on November 20. The launch took place as scheduled and in December, the US Shuttle attached Unity (Node-1) module to Zarya/FGB. At the time, the launch of the service module was scheduled for April 1999, but was expected to be delayed at least until June 1999.

1999: Crawling ahead

In April, NASA and Russian Space Agency agree to delay the launch of the service module June to September. The launch was then delayed until November, as RKK Energia struggled to complete the preparations for the launch. At the meantime, wiring problems on the Shuttle threatened the program, even if the service module would blast off in November. Finally, in September, NASA and Rosaviacosmos agreed to delay the service module launch until end of December or January 2000. However in October, the Proton rocket carrying a communications satellite failed for the second time in the year, forcing Russian start extensive investigation and engine upgrades on the vehicle.

2000: Opening floodgates

The Proton rocket returned to service in February, as its manufacturers were still testing modified engines, which would be used on the Proton launching the Zvezda service module. Rosaviacosmos decided to conduct two test flights of the modified Proton rocket, before allowing the launcher to carry the service module into orbit. In the meantime, NASA split a Shuttle logistics mission into two, in order to repair and maintain the embryonic ISS in orbit. On July 12, the Zvezda successfully reached the orbit and several days later, Zarya/Unity stack flawlessly docked to the service module. The first Progress cargo ship also arrived on schedule and in September, the Shuttle delivered Z-truss structure to the station and a docking adapter. In November, the first "resident crew" of the station including US astronaut Bill Shepard and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev boarded the outpost. In December, the Shuttle attached a set of solar arrays and radiators to the station, making it the biggest orbital structure.

2001: Real work starts

In February, the Shuttle Atlantis delivered Destiny lab to the station, while back on Earth the financial foes threatened the ISS project. As a result of the multi-billion dollar cost overruns, NASA was forced to cancel the development of the US habitation module and a reusable rescue vehicle for the station.

• Soyuz TM-32 taxi flight (Dennis Tito's mission to the ISS) | Soyuz TM-33 taxi flight (Russo-French commercial mission)

2002: Construction site in space

During 2002, the station's main truss, designed to hold giant power plants and other systems, started stemming from the original core of the outpost. Total three segments of the truss had been added during Shuttle missions. In the meantime, back on Earth, the partners in the project, tried to develop a solution to the financial problems facing the endeavour, however little progress had been reached.

• Soyuz TM-34 taxi flight | Soyuz TMA-1 taxi flight

2003: In the wake of the Columbia disaster

A tragic loss of the Shuttle Columbia during her voyage home at the end of the STS-107 mission, on Feb. 1, 2003, essentially grounded the US manned space program for the indefinite period of time and stalled the construction of the station. Despite the possibility of leaving station uninhabited during the hiatus in the US manned space program, the Russia committed to keep the outpost manned.

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which previously played a role of a "lifeboat," re-emerged as the only link to the station for its crews. At the same time, the Russian Progress cargo ships remained the only supply line from the Earth to the station. In order to save resources onbard the station in the absence of the Shuttle, partners agreed to reduce the long-duration crew from three to two people.

• Soyuz TMA-2 mission (Expedition 7) | Soyuz TMA-3 mission (Expedition 8)

2004: The beginning of the end

On January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush directed NASA to initiate plans for the return to the Moon, using funds freed by the cancellation of the Space Shuttle program and the US withdrawal from the ISS program. According to the plan, the Shuttle would be retired in 2010, upon completion of the station assembly. In 2016, NASA funding for the ISS would end as well.

• Soyuz TMA-4 mission (Expedition 9) | Soyuz TMA-5 mission (Expedition 10)

2005: Return of the Shuttle

The 10th long-duration crew of the ISS met the new year the same way their predecessors did 12 months ago -- troubleshooting aging Elektron oxygen generating unit. As underfunded, understaffed and, sometimes, undersupplied station continued its mission, on the ground NASA prepared the Shuttle to return to orbit in 2005.

• Soyuz TMA-6 mission (Expedition 11) | Soyuz TMA-7 mission (Expedition 12)

2006: Restarting the assembly

On March 2, 2006, partners in the International Space Station project, ISS, approved a new assembly sequence, which dedicated 16 remaining Shuttle flights before its retirement in 2010 to the launching of the ISS elements. As expected in 2005, the delivery of the Russian NEP module by the Shuttle was canceled, along with a number of "utilization" flights. NASA promised to compensate the Russian segment for the loss of power, which would've been provided by the NEP, with the energy from the US segment during 2008-2015.

Without major delays or accidents in the Shuttle program, the station would reach the capability of supporting a six-person permanent crew by 2009. The European Columbus module was now scheduled for launch during the 7th Shuttle mission after its return to flight, while the elements of the Japanese segment would reach orbit during the eighth, ninth and 12th missions.

NASA still evaluated the possibility of sending the Shuttle to service Hubble Space Telescope for the last time as early as beginning of 2008. It would be the only mission of the Shuttle not dedicated to the assembly of the ISS in the upcoming schedule.

• Soyuz TMA-8 mission (Expedition 13) | Soyuz TMA-9 mission (Expedition 14)

2007: Construction continues

In order to fill the gap in its manned space program between retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010 and introduction of the Orion spacecraft around 2014, US turned to Russia. In December 2006, NASA ordered two Progress cargo ships from RKK Energia to re-supply the US segment and made plans to order a pair of Soyuz lifeboats and a pair Progress ships annually during 2009-2011. Combined with flights to the its own segment, Russian transport traffic to the ISS was expected to double during this period. On April 7, 2007, NASA also announced that it signed a $719 million modification to the ISS contract with Russia for crew and cargo services through 2011.

The firm-fixed price extension covers crew rotations for 15 crew members, six in 2009, six in 2010 and three in 2011, delivery and the removal of 5.6 metric tons of cargo. U.S. Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) were still planned to provide the bulk of cargo transportation needs from 2010 and beyond to the space station.

With the modification, NASA also purchased the capability for the Russian Docking Cargo Module (DCM) to carry 1.4 metric tons of NASA cargo to the station in 2010. By adding the module, NASA will be able to fly outfitting hardware for the Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module on the DCM, eliminating the need to fly a cargo carrier and some ballast on a shuttle flight. NASA is obligated to deliver the Russian outfitting hardware to the station under a 2006 addendum to the ISS Balance of Contributions Agreement between NASA and the Russia. In addition, NASA purchased a flight opportunity to and from the station that would meet an obligation to its international partners. The flight would allow for an astronaut from the partners to spend approximately six months aboard the space station in 2009. A total price tug for deals between Russia and NASA reportedly reached $719 million and included a purchase of 15 seats and 5.6 tons of cargo delivery.

• Soyuz TMA-10 mission (Expedition 15) | Soyuz TMA-11 mission (Expedition 16)

2008: Finishing the construction

In the spring, Vitaly Lopota, the head of Russian key station contractor RKK Energia told Russian media that the federal funding for the ISS had to double in order to complete various modules of the Russian segment by 2015. According to Lopota, 100 billion rubles had been allocated to the development of the Russian segment, however additional 120 billion was needed to implement the current program. In the meantime, the partners in the ISS project were to meet in Paris in July to discuss the financial possibility for extending service life of the station from 2015 to 2020.

In April, Aviation Week reported that Administrator Michael Griffin has sent a letter to Capitol Hill specifically excluding Russian Progress cargo ships from a request to continue using Russian Soyuz capsules to deliver crew to the ISS after the shuttle retires in 2010. Instead, NASA opted for "private" vehicles being developed under Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

In the meantime, on Sept. 24, the US House of Representatives did extend a waiver to the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act, INKSNA, that would allow NASA to purchase seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft after a previous waiver was to expire at the end of 2011. The move ensured an uninterrupted presence of American and European astronauts on the ISS, during the entire projected five-year gap between the retirement of the Shuttle in 2010 and the introduction of the Orion spacecraft, which by August slipped 12 months from September 2013. However, the vote came not before NASA Administrator went to the media with the warning that the interruption of the US and European manned space flight beginning in 2012 was inevitable. The measure to extend INKSNA previously stalled in Congress as Russian-American relations were unraveling, especially in the wake of the Russian-Georgian conflict.

• Soyuz TMA-12 mission (Expedition 17) | Soyuz TMA-13 mission (Expedition 18)

2009: Full crew

With the addition of the fourth and last power-generating section of the American segment in March 2009, the station was finally ready to support its full six-member crew, which was achieved on May 29, 2009. In the meantime, on the ground, partners continued studying options for extending lifespan of the ISS beyond the ISS. While the final decision on the matter was not expected until 2010 - beginning 2011, space officials were optimistic that the station would remain in orbit until 2020.

At the end of May 2009, NASA announced that it reached a $306 million deal with Russia on the Soyuz missions to the ISS and related services, with each Soyuz mission reportedly costing the US around $51 million per Soyuz flight.

• Soyuz TMA-14 mission (Expedition 19) | Soyuz TMA-15 mission (Expedition 20) | Soyuz TMA-16 mission (Expedition 21)