Last week, American astronaut Ed Lu faced the job of a lifetime. He and his Russian partner, Yuri Malenchenko, stepped out of the space shuttle Atlantis and into the cold darkness of space. For more than six hours, these brave men worked 230 miles above Earth. They set a new world record for space walking. They were helping build the biggest structure ever to float above our planet: the International Space Station (ISS).

The ISS is a giant Lego project in the sky. Thousands of people from 16 nations are working to put more than 100 major pieces together.

Once the ISS is complete, astronauts will live on board and carry out experiments. One day the station may even serve as a launch pad for missions to other planets, like Mars.

Ready for Moving Day
After finishing their work, Lu and Malenchenko returned to Atlantis. The shuttle's seven-member crew is getting the ISS ready for moving day. In November, two Russians and one American will begin a four-month stay on board the station. The crew of Atlantis took tons of gear and supplies into the part of the station in which astronauts will live. It is called Zvezda, which means Star in Russian.

Zvezda, which is 43 feet long, was added to the station in July. "It's absolutely beautiful," said Atlantis commander Terrence Wilcutt.

Moving day is in two months, but the station won't be finished for at least five more years. The price tag: $60 billion. If the International Space Station helps the world work together to explore space, it will be worth its sky-high price.

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September 22, 2000 News Scoop