This digital artist's concept shows the first two elements of the International Space Station joined in orbit, the U.S.-funded and Russian-built Functional Cargo Block (FGB) on the left and the U.S.-built Node 1 connecting module on the right. The FGB will be launched in June 1998. Node 1 will be launched by the Space Shuttle Endeavour about two weeks later in July 1998. Endeavour's crew will dock the Node and FGB and conduct three spacewalks to hook up cables and install equipment. The two elements will then remain in orbit unpiloted awaiting the launch of the third station element, the Russian-supplied Service Module scheduled for a December 1998 launch.