Living in space is no longer just a dream. In a few short years, international cooperation between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, Canada and Brazil has resulted in man's first successful attempt to live in space. And after many projects and some experimental space stations, like the Russian Salyut and Mir or the American Skylab, we are almost ready to launch the Great International Base, a stable space station geared towards the future. As large as a football field, this engineering masterpiece is scheduled for completion in 2002. It will host six people, and astronauts of every nationality are expected to do extensive traveling to and from the station in orbit. Many scientific studies will be conducted on board and even more eagerly anticipated are the preparations for the great journey to Mars that will begin soon after.