ISS RUSSIAN SEGMENT ART CONCEPT - This artist's concept depicts the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) when assembly is completed in 2003. A project involving contributions from 16 nations, it is the largest and most complex international scientific project ever undertaken. Along with Russia (RSA), major partners in the ISS are the United States (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan (NASDA), and Canada (CSA). Assembly in orbit of the station will begin in 1998 and include 45 flights on the Space Shuttle and two types of Russian launch vehicles over five years. When complete, the ISS will have a mass of more than 1 million pounds (453,000 kilograms) and provide six state-of-the-art laboratories for international research.