Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, countries have been working together, especially for the advancement in science. The future International Space Station is an example of this. As of 1991, there has been 1200 agreements, with more than 135 countries and international organizations pertaining to the station. The Space Station is a result of a partnership between the United States, Japan, Canada, Russia and the European Space Agency. (Canby, 1991)
The Space Station constitutes only one seventh of one percent of the federal budget. Less then fifteen percent of the total NASA budget. It will cost each American about nine dollars per year. It is expected to cost $100 billion over its lifetime (30 years). (NASA 1995)
NASA states that its main goal in building the Space Station is to see how people can live and work safely in space. In addition to the main goal of space adaptation, the microgravity environment will offer a set-up for many experiments unable to be conducted in full Earth gravity. There are thirteen nations involved in these experiments—the largest scientific effort ever. (NASA, 1995)
Further information on the Space Station can be found in the appendix and the International Space Station Fact Book available free from NASA.