This week in 1998, STS-88 launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission marked the first International Space Station flight and was responsible for the mating of the Russian-built Zarya control module with the Unity node. The Unity node was built at Marshall Space Flight Center. Here, NASA astronaut James Newman works on wrap-up tasks during the final of three extravehicular activities. Today, the Payload Operations Integration Center at Marshall serves as “science central” for the space station, working 24/7, 365 days a year in support of the orbiting laboratory’s scientific experiments. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)