Representatives from 15 of the international partners signed agreements about the framework for the ISS.

There are 16 countries working in concert to construct the ISS. The United States heads the project and is in charge of coordinating the overall construction, monitoring and maintainance of the ISS. Other participating countries are responsible for developing and maintaining specific parts of the station. By working together, rather than competing, top scientists from around the world can collaborate and share information. The logos below link to some of the participating countries' web pages.

	The United States of America In addition to coordinating and monitoring the entire ISS station, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is providing an experimental module, a habitation module, a power supply system with solar panels, trusses where the robot arm will be operated and an emergency crew return vehicle. NASA is also using their Space Shuttle to bring station crews, components, equipment and supplies into orbit.
	Russia RKA (The Russian Space Agency) is providing the Zarya Control Module (the first component launched), the Zvezda service module (the habitation module during early construction), two experiment modules and an emergency crew return vehicle named Soyuz. In addition, Russia is using their Proton and Soyuz Rockets to transport components, equipment and suppplies.
	Europe The European Space Agency (ESA) includes France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. These eleven countries are working together as a group to provide an experimental module and an automated transfer vehicle.
	Japan NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan) is providing an experimental module named Kibo (Japanese for "Hope") with an exposed facility to do experiments outside the pressurized cabin. Additionally, they are contributing a transfer vehicle and a centrifuge (a laboratory that can simulate different levels of gravity by spinning around).
	Canada The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is supplying a gigantic robotic arm to be used in the construction and maintainance of the station.
	Brazil INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais) is building several additional pieces of equipment to be used on the ISS.

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