NASA: "NASA Administrator Statement On 10th Anniversary Of Crews Aboard The International Space Station".
On Nov. 2, 2000, the first crew arrived aboard the International Space Station to live and work aboard the orbiting laboratory. The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles on the 10th anniversary:
"Today, we celebrate ten years of humans living and working continuously aboard the International Space Station. This global milestone is tremendously significant, both for NASA and our partners. It recognizes the success of an amazing feat of engineering and a magnificent leap forward in the story of human achievement. I congratulate the entire station team and the thousands of people worldwide who have helped us reach this anniversary.
"Since Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev first boarded the station as the Expedition 1 crew, more than 196 people have visited the complex, and by the exact time of the anniversary this morning, the station will have completed 57,361 orbits of the Earth, traveling some 1.5 billion miles.
"More than 600 different research and technology development experiments have been conducted on the station, many of which are producing advances in medicine, recycling systems and a fundamental understanding of the universe. On Oct. 25, the station set a record for being the longest continuously inhabited spacecraft. On that day, the space station eclipsed the previous record of 3,644 days set by the Russian Mir Space Station. The station is our toehold in space, and it will be an essential part of our work to send humans on missions beyond low Earth orbit in the future.
"With passage of the NASA Authorization bill, we will now be able to extend the life of the station to at least 2020. Representatives of the five international agencies that built and operate the outpost have also agreed on this in principle. Indeed, one of the station's greatest legacies is the international partnerships we have forged to create something awe-inspiring that benefits people all over the world. Partnerships with other nations will be essential to the global exploration enterprise of the future, and with each new day, NASA and its partners are pushing the envelope of human achievement in space into uncharted territory.
"On board the station right now are six talented and courageous travelers representing NASA and our Russian partners. Tomorrow, the crew of STS-133 is expected to lift off on its way to the International Space Station aboard the last flight of shuttle Discovery. As we enter the station's second decade, our path forward will take us deeper into space and expand humanity's potential farther. The lessons we learn on the station will carry us to Mars and beyond. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the six crew members on orbit and all the teams over the years that have helped us get to this milestone day."
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NASA TV Video: NASA Administrator Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Space Station with Call to Expedition 25 Crew.
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Statement by the President on the 10th Anniversary of Crews Aboard the International Space Station.
Today marks an important milestone in the history of human exploration. For the past decade, men and women from 15 nations have lived and worked together in space in the peaceful pursuit of science and exploration. The first crew of the International Space Station took up residence 200 miles above Earth on this date 10 years ago and we have had a sustained human presence in space ever since.
Truly an international endeavor, the space station has brought disparate nations together for a common purpose -- to better our lives on Earth. More than 600 experiments conducted in orbit aboard this amazing laboratory have contributed to important research designed to improve the quality of life for everyone.
Because of the extraordinary value of this orbiting research outpost, earlier this year I proposed extending the life of the space station until at least 2020 so that NASA can pioneer new frontiers in education and international cooperation that will maximize the scientific return of this important foothold in space. Congress overwhelmingly agreed, and I was recently able to sign into law legislation that calls for extending the life of the space station for at least another 10 years.
As we look to the next 10 years, we can only imagine what's in store for our future astronauts, engineers, and scientists. I am committed to ensuring that NASA continues along a sustainable path as an international leader in space exploration and as an inspiration to a new generation of explorers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
As we look to the future of America's continued leadership in space and think about the steps we will take in the months and years to come to extend humanity’s reach beyond Earth orbit, I would like to say thank you and a job well done to the men and women who have contributed to this historic achievement.
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ESA: "A testbed for future space exploration".
The International Space Station (ISS) is a successful laboratory for science and technology, but it could be called on for even more exciting uses.
ESA is now asking for fresh and challenging ideas to expand the use of the ISS for exploring deeper space. The ISS has been orbiting Earth for the past decade, and it will be used for at least ten years more – confirmed by our international partners. It might be in space, but its work is benefiting us on the ground.
ESA plans to continue the valuable life and physical sciences research, perform fundamental new experiments and study Earth to help understand global climate change.
Building on this, we are already thinking about sending astronauts from low Earth orbit to explore deeper space – the Moon, Mars, asteroids and perhaps other destinations.
To prepare for these pioneering missions, ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight is now calling for ideas for using the ISS to test the new capabilities and technologies needed for venturing further into the Solar System.
“A new era for the utilisation of the International Space Station is about to start,” said Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight.
The sky is not the limit
We are gathering ideas for experiments, spacecraft systems, subsystems and components, technology demonstrations, operations and education in preparation for future exploration missions.
For instance, these long-duration flights pose new threats to astronaut health because of the radiation, microgravity and prolonged isolation.
New ideas are needed for regenerative life-support systems, waste and water processing and food production. These technologies must be tested in a realistic situation before using them on actual exploration missions.
The handling of failures, maintenance and repairs needs a fresh approach because crews will be on their own so far from Earth. Built-in self-diagnosis and automatic recovery will be required, perhaps with materials that repair themselves.
The ISS offers an ideal opportunity for the final testing and initial use of habitation modules and facilities, as well as new robots for maintenance, repairs and handling cargo.
Tele-operations, telecommunications and improved information systems will increase the crew’s autonomy and reduce their dependency on ground support. These can all be tested safely aboard the ISS, before we leap beyond Earth orbit.
Act before 26 November
The call is directed towards space developers, research groups, industry, national institutions, academia and educational institutes, entrepreneurs and ESA’s own staff. Share your visions with us.
Details are attached (see link on the right). Letters of interest (not mandatory nor binding) are required by 5 November and idea proposals by 26 November 2010 using the form on the right.
“This call is intended to support the preparation of a Programme Proposal to be submitted to the ESA Member States at the next ESA Ministerial Council in 2012,” said Simonetta Di Pippo. It is not part of a formal selection process for ESA’s ISS Utilisation programme.
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Roscosmos PAO: "ISS Crew may be Enlarged to 7 Members Once New Vehicles are Available".
The 6-crew of the International Space Station may be enlarged to 7, once new Russian and US crew vehicles become available, Roscosmos Human Spaceflight Directorate Head Alexey Krasnov told news media.
He explained that currently optimal number of people in the station is 6, due to the fact that only 3-seat Russian Soyuzes provide crew transportation services in the program today.
Initially, it was planned to have 7-crew in the station, 3 in the Russian segment, and 4 in the USOS, but first ISS partners of Russia canceled development of the 4-seat safe haven vehicle, and then decided to retire shuttle fleet, RIA Novosti informs.
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SPACE.com: "Voting From Space: American Astronauts Cast Ballots In Orbit".
RIA Novosti: "Work on orbital station could continue until 2020 - ISS crewmember".
New Scientist: "High life: a short history of the space station".
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From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 02/11/2010.
Today 10 years ago Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko & Sergei Krikalev, as Expedition 1, entered the ISS from Soyuz TM-31, initiating a decade of continuous occupancy of the outpost by humans. More than 196 people have since visited the complex, and by the exact time of the anniversary (9:21 AM GMT this morning), the station has completed 57,361 "inhabitated" orbits of the Earth, having travelled some 1.5 billion miles. Representatives of the five international agencies that built and operate the station have agreed in principle to continuing its use for another decade. More than 600 different research and technology development experiments have been conducted on the station, many of which are producing advances in medicine, recycling systems and a fundamental understanding of the universe. Happy Birthday, ISS!
FE-1 Alexander Kaleri transferred the new Russian experiment KPT-10 "Kulonovskiy Kristall" (Coulomb Crystal) from Progress M-08M/40P to the ISS, set it up and initiated operation, taking documentary photography. [KPT-10 studies dynamic and structural characteristics of the Coulomb systems formed by charged dispersed diamagnetic macroparticles in the magnetic trap, investigating the following processes onboard the ISS RS: condensed dust media, Coulomb crystals, and formation of Coulomb liquids due to charged macroparticles. Coulomb systems are structures following Coulomb's Law, a law of physics describing the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It was essential to the development of the theory of electromagnetism.]
For use by the Shuttle crew during the docked phase with STS-133/ULF-5, FE-6 Shannon Walker unstowed two BPMSUs (Battery Powered Speaker Microphone Units), equipped them with fresh batteries and configured their dual drag-through cable strings and QDs (Quick Disconnects), along with video adapter cables. One BPMSU was located at the Cupola RWS (Robotics Workstation), the other near the Node 1 Nadir hatch for PMM (Permanent Multipurpose Module) ops. [The long dual strings, one going through Node 3 to the Lab, the other further on to Node 1 and its connecting modules, will be plugged in at a drag-through QD assembly at PMA-2, with one half assigned to the Station, the other to the Shuttle.]
CDR Doug Wheelock completed the SSC-5 (Station Support Computer-5) and SSC-19 setup in the Cupola for wired connectivity in support of ULF-5 robotics ops, begun yesterday [steps included turning off the wireless network antenna on SSC-19, deactivating SSC-5 & SSC-219, and photo documenting SSC & cable arrangements in the Cupola, specifically the locations of the laptops, power cables/supplies, power outlet PS-120 and coiled ISL (Integrated Station OpsLAN) Ethernet lines].
Alexander unpacked & prepared a new cable and diagnostic CD (Compact Disk) delivered on 40P, then used it on a detailed troubleshooting investigation of the failed SPS Analog/Digital Converter of the Soyuz TMA-01M/24S Descent Module's (SA's) "Neptune" console (PKSA). [Preliminary results from the Russian specialists indicate the problem is hardware related, which is preventing the SPS from receiving power.]
ARED Rope Repair:
According to crew report, the ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device) was not retracting its exercise rope fully because of the bulge associated with the splice of the exercise rope was "catching" on the pulley system. Because the fray and splice were getting caught in between the two pulleys and not allowing the exercise rope to fully retract, it caused the detents to become disengaged during bar exercises. The crew attempted to remove the bulge in the ARED exercise rope. Due to an unexpected amount of Nomex threading, the crew was unable to improve the splice. The rope repair was aborted and FE-3 Scott Kelly installed a new rope. recovering the exerciser. ARED is again GO for nominal crew exercise.
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From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 03/11/2010.
Following up on yesterday's troubleshooting of the failed SPS Analog/Digital Converter of the Soyuz TMA-01M/24S Descent Module's (SA's) "Neptune" console (PKSA), FE-1 Alexander Kaleri today reviewed the InPU Integrated Control Panel's data log files for more testing. [Preliminary results from the Russian specialists have indicated that the problem is hardware related, preventing the SPS from receiving power.]
In the US A/L (Airlock), FE-6 Shannon Walker worked on EMUs (Extravehicular Mobility Units) #3005 & #3009, setting them up with their SCUs (Service & Cooling Umbilicals) and initiating the standard one-hour scrubbing process on the spacesuits' and A/L's cooling water loops, filtering ionic and particulate matter (via a 3-micron filter), then reconfiguring the cooling loops and starting the ~2 hour biocide (iodination) filtering. Today's activities also included EMU harness (biomed connector) inspection with downlinked photographs. [Loop scrubbing, including iodination of the LCVGs (Liquid Cooling & Ventilation Garments) for biocidal maintenance is done to eliminate any biomass and particulate matter that may have accumulated in the loops.]
FE-2 Oleg Skripochka prepared Node 2 for STS-133/ULF-5 docking by cleaning out cargo from its forward hatch area and moving it to Progress M-07M/39P.
As next steps in the Russian EVA-26 preparation timeline towards the spacewalk training run on 12/11, Oleg FE-5 Fyodor Yurchikhin today spent several hours on gathering replaceable Orlan-MK spacesuit elements & equipment (SMEG), servicing the suits and readying personal gear, supported by ground specialist tagup. [Fyodor will wear Orlan #5 (red stripes) with BRTA (telemetry unit) #7, Oleg Orlan #4 (blue stripes) with BRTA #6. Orlan replaceable components & auxiliary equipment include such items as LP-9 LiOH canisters, primary & reserve BK-3M O2 tanks, measurement unit filters, moisture collectors, FOR feedwater filters, BOS degassing pump unit filter, Valsalva nose devices, 825M3 batteries, etc.]
Afterwards, Oleg & Fyodor worked on preparing the DC-1 (Docking Compartment-1) and SM (Service Module) PkhO (Transfer Compartment) for the EVA dry-run & EVA-26 by moving out science payloads and transferring them to MRM-2 for temporary stowage (i.e., no IMS (Inventory Management System) update).
