Editor's earlier note: That is what NASA's Human Spaceflight website says: "When did assembly start and how long will it take to complete the station?
The constuction [sic] of the International Space Station began with the launch of the first element, the Russian Zarya Control Module, on Nov. 20, 1998. Construction will require 43 space flights with three different types of launch vehicles. Completion is scheduled for approximately 2006."
Editor's update: Wow, another speedy website update - this one only took a few hours! The page now has a useless paragraph with far less information than it did before - even if it was out of date: "The construction of the International Space Station began with the launch of the first element, the Russian Zarya Control Module, on Nov. 20, 1998. In accordance with our Vision for Space Exploration, completion of ISS is scheduled for 2010." In other words, "it will be completed (whatever that means) when we finish it - and we don't know how we are going to do this - yet."

