Z1 truss
The first truss piece, the Z1 truss, launched aboard STS-92 in October 2000 was used as a temporary mounting position for the P6 truss (sent up later) and solar array until its relocation to the end of the P5 truss during STS-120.
Though not a part of the main truss, the Z1 truss was the first permanent lattice-work structure for the ISS, very much like a girder, setting the stage for the future addition of the station's major trusses or backbones.
It contains the control moment gyroscope (CMG) assemblies, electrical wiring, communications equipment, and two plasma contactors designed to neutralize the static electrical charge of the space station.
It is unpressurized (with the exception of a small vestibule, but features two Common Berthing Mechanism docking ports for easy connecting and data communications. One port (nadir) is used to connect the Z1 truss to the zenith port of Unity. The other port (forward) was used to temporarily berth PMA-2 during the placing of the Destiny lab onto the Unity node during STS-98.
In October 2007, the P6 was moved to its permanent position next to P5, and the Z1 truss is now used solely to house the CMGs, communications equipment and the plasma contactors.
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