- Americans, first of all, must learn to send a Human to the International Space Station without Russian missiles ...
- Americans, then, must learn to build a "space toilet", since on the International Space Station all toilets are built by Russian
Russia has primarily made the habitation areas. The US has made and launched most of the other modules.
The major modues made and launched by Russia are Zarya (cargo), Zvezda (Habitation), and Pirs and Poisk (Docking Modules).
Interestingly enough, the Russian module Rassvet was launched by NASA on the Atlantis.
The US built and launched modules are Unity (Berthing), Destiny (Lab), Harmony (Bus Interconnect and Berthing), Quest (main docking module), and Tranquility (Waste Reclamation and Oxygen Generation). All of those modules were launched by the US Space Shuttle. And yes, Tranquility does use a Russian designed toilet. This was done not because the US could not make one, but in order to reduce the number of replacement parts needed on the station and to allow parts from one to be used on the other.
However the waste products from both toilets are run through a US made device to reclaim water.
Oh, and the US also launched the Columbus (European Space Agency Lab), the Kibo (Japanese Space Agency Lab), Cupola (ESA Observation Lab), and the Leonardo (ESA Multipurpose Module/Lab). All on Space Shuttle missions.
And among other modules launched by the US are the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (Test Inflatable Module), and the International Docking Adapter 2. Both of which were launched on SpaceX rockets.
Oh, and that is only the habituated portions of the ISS. The Integrated Truss System, External Stowage Platform, Express Logistics Carrier, and Orbital Replacement Units (in other words all non-pressurized sections of the ISS) were all launched by Space Shuttle missions. As was the CanadaArm and CanadaArm2.
However, I guess we should be glad that the next major Russian component for the ISS (Nauka - new Lab and Docking Module) is as of this date only 11 years behind schedule.
Funny you talk about the US currently using Russian rockets to send it's people to the ISS. While completely ignoring that the majority of the ISS was built by and/or launched by the US.
BTW, how is that Buran going?