The International Space Station

Between that time and the 1984 decision to build the space station, the U. S. manned space program was committed to the development of the space shuttle. [...] In 1990, budget restrictions – along with some misgivings about the design of the proposed station – led the U. S. Congress to order the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to review its design of the ISS and adjust the program. [...] Initially, the completion date in the ISS construction schedule was 2006; however, the loss of the space shuttle Columbia (STS-107) and its crew in February 2003 grounded the shuttle fleet and postponed the construction of the ISS for more than two-and-a-half years. [...] This system plays the main role in the assembly and maintenance of the space station by moving equipment and supplies around the station, supporting astronauts during extra- vehicular activities, and servicing instruments and other payloads attached to the station. [...] The composition of the industrial team responsible for most of the Canadarm2 and Dextre components reflects the goal of spreading government space-related expenditures throughout the country.