25 years of remarkable achievements. On Dec. 6, 1998, the six-member STS-88 crew mated Unity, the first U.S. element of the International Space Station, with the already-orbiting Zarya module, beginning the historic assembly of the orbiting laboratory. Carried by Endeavour, Unity launched into orbit during the first space shuttle mission to the station, along with astronauts Nancy Currie, Jerry Ross, Robert Cabana, Frederick Sturckow, James Newman, and cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev. Throughout the 12-day mission, Ross and Newman conducted three spacewalks to attach cables, connectors, and handrails between the two modules. Four days after mating, the space station opened for the first time, welcoming the crew aboard and setting the pace for a future of living and working in low-Earth orbit. #nasa #international #space #station #iss25 #Unity #Endeavour #assembly #anniversary #spacewalk #science #research #sts88 #shuttle #mission #OTD