Zvezda is scheduled to dock with the Zarya-Unity tandem of the ISS on July 26.

On its first circuit the Zvezda module functioned without any hitches, Energia General Director Yuri Semenov said at a press conference at Baikonur.

According to Semenov, all opening elements of the module (radio and TV antennae, solar batteries, etc.) performed smoothly. Mission control is receiving information which shows that all receiver and transmission apparatuses are operating normally.

At the same time, according to Semenov, it is still early to speak about a total victory. The module still has to dock with the Zarya-Unity section of the station on July 26. Only after that, he stressed, can we speak about a new state in the construction of the ISS - extended expeditions and intensive expansion of the ISS configuration.

According to flight management specialists, the two weeks reserve is necessary to test on-board systems and correct orbits of the Zvezda module and of the Zarya-Unity module, which has been flying since December 1998.

The Zvezda service module is a key element of the ISS. It supplies the necessary life support conditions during the initial construction phase, in addition to control for all on-board systems, direction, stabilization and correction of orbit and other functions that are important for the station's piloted flight and the subsequent expansion of its configuration.

If everything goes according to plan after the docking of the Zvezda module with Zarya-Unity, the first expeditions will go into orbit at the end of October - beginning of November 2000 and will contain William M. Shepherd, director of the expedition, Yuri Gidzenko (commander of the Soyuz-TN and Sergei Krikalyov (on board engineer).

The U.S., which has been the initiator of the ISS project since 1984, decided in 1993 to cooperate with Russia in the hope of building an international station and consequently saving money and time. However, according to Western politicians and the mass media, as a result of delays in financing for the Russian space program, the implementation of the project was put back for two years. According to the Wall Street Journal, these delays are estimated to have cost $3 billion.

At the moment the planned orbit for the Zvezda is between 354 kilometers (maximum distance from Earth) and 185 kilometers (minimum distance from Earth).

In the two weeks between the launch and the docking with Zarya-Unity, specialists will thoroughly test all on board systems and correct orbits of the Zvezda module and of the Zarya-Unity module, which has been flying since December 1998.

The U.S. side plans to launch the next segment of the ISS on September 8, NASA Director Daniel Goldin said at a press conference at Baikonur after the successful launch of the Zvezda module.

Goldin did not comment on the purpose of the next U.S. element of the station, nevertheless, scientists assume that it will be a scientific research module.

The NASA director noted that after the docking of the Russian service module with the Zarya-Unity section, participating countries will have to move on to a more exact schedule for the construction of the station.

According to Goldin, it is still early to be euphoric about the launch of the Russian module.

"We have to live in trepidation and work closely with the elements of the ISS over the next two weeks, and in the event of a successful docking, another two weeks will be needed to test equipment on the station to be fully confident about the safety of the first manned mission, planned for October 30, 2000," he said.

Nevertheless, Goldin expressed the hope that all the work on the ISS would be successful until the end of the year. "A guarantee of this is the talent of Russian managers and rocket engineers, such as Russian Aerospace Agency Chief Yuri Koptev, Energia General Director Yuri Semenov and Khrunichev Space Center General Director Anatoly Kiselyov," Goldin said.