An artist's concept of the Alpha will look like in its completed and fully operational state.

An artist's concept of what the International Space Station (ISS)Alpha will look like in its completed and fully operational state. All the elements of the Station are shown - the United States, European, Japanese, and Russian. The artist also included the Space Shuttle in the docked position. Sixteen countries are cooperating to provide a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide an unprecedented undertaking in scientific, technological, and international experimentation.