A Russian Proton K rocket lit up the morning sky July 12 as it finally roared into space at 10:56 local time (12:56 a.m. EDT) carrying the Russian service module Zvezda into orbit. The key component was delayed more than a year, bottlenecking the station assembly sequence.

Russian and U.S. launch officials at the Baikonur Cosmodrome were all smiles as the flawless liftoff pushed the core module of the $60 billion international space station (ISS) project toward its mates Unity and Zarya.

This is a significant milestone in the fledgling project. Without Zvezda in place, no crews could be sent up because the Russian component houses all flight controls and living quarters for the ISS.

In addition to the Zvezda module, the Proton K also carried Pizza Hut’s logo, the company having contributed to the cost of the launch.

“We have traveled a very long and difficult road. We wish the road had been a highway but a highway it was not. It was often closed for repairs, and experienced detours,” Russian Space Agency director Yuri Koptev said during a news briefing after the launch. “Our strength in carrying out this project is in our support for each other.”

NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, though happy the launch went off successfully, was cautious in celebrating the event. “Before we pop open the champagne, we have two more weeks before we dock, but I have a sense everything will be okay.”