A recent NASA study indicates that a new multinational space station project in which the US, Russia, Japan and Europe are the major players will be the biggest technological project ever undertaken. However, researchers fear that the space station may not be adequately protected from micrometeoroids and other debris. The design parameters are such that an impact from aluminum spheres of one cm diameter can be withstood easily. But the study indicates that the Russian components may not be able to meet these design specifications because of time and budgetary constraints.