JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: In just under seven hours, Russia takes the next step in making the International Space Station a reality with the launch of a key segment: the service module. CNN's Steve Harrigan has details.</s>STEVE HARRIGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two years behind schedule, the Russians say they're ready to launch their contribution to the International Space Station.</s>DR. BORIS BODIN, RUSSIAN AIR-SPACE AGENCY (through translator): We had to resolve some complicated problems. Everything here is tied to economics.</s>HARRIGAN: The 42,000-pound Zvezda will be home for the first crews to inhabit the station, now orbiting 240 miles above the Earth. A successful launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan would pave the way for a planned 15 years of continuous manned presence in space. The $60 billion space station is a partnership between the U.S., Russia, Canada, European nations and Japan. Living onboard the Russian module won't be easy. The first inhabitants, two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut, are scheduled to take off in October. The three men will have to share two small sleeping compartments and will be issued earplugs, since NASA says the module does not meet its specifications for noise reduction. The sound of the machines onboard has been compared to the noise level of a busy highway.</s>DANIEL GOLDIN, NASA DIRECTOR: We took some steps to suppress the noise by putting mufflers over the fans, and we'll continue to work it. We're going to make sure that when the astronauts and cosmonauts are up in space, that there won't be any damage to their hearing.</s>HARRIGAN: There are also concerns about the rocket that will be used to launch the module into orbit. Two Russian-made Proton rockets crashed last year, prompting a temporary ban on launches in Kazakhstan. Since being redesigned, the Proton has made at least two successful flights. Steve Harrigan, CNN, Moscow.
Russians Prepare to Launch Service Module of International Space Station