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The ISS Crew
Everyday, the U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts who serve onboard the International Space Station increase humankind's
knowledge of living in space. The International Space Station
represents a new mark for permanent operations in space. The station is permanently
crewed and the crew rotates during exchange flights every four to six months. The pressurized
area that the crew inhabits is equavilent to three average American houses. Six Expedition missions
have successfully been completed, while the seventh is in progress. All Expedition crews set aside time in their busy schedules to operate the ISS EarthKAM camera.
Expedition One Crew
The Expedition One crew was the first permanent occupants of the new International
Space Station (ISS) Flight Engineer Sergei K. Krikalev, Commander William
M. Shepherd and Commander Yuri launched on October 31, 2000 aboard the Russian Soyuz
Rocket. Two days later they docked on the ISS and had a four-month mission to
prepare the facility for future scientific research.
The ISS EarthKAM camera was installed in February 2001 as a part of
Expedition One. They mounted the camera at the Destiny Lab window.
The three astronauts posed in front of a rendition of the ISS and wore their Sokol space suits.
The flags along the bottom of the picture represent all the international partners.
Expedition Two Crew
The second station crew spent five months from March to August 2001 on the ISS, continuing to develop it in size and sophistication. Commander Yury V. Usachev and two flight engineers James S. Voss and Susan J. Helms witnessed the developments of the station's major experiments. Their accomplishments include operating a station robotic arm and conducting initial space walks from Quest, the new station airlock. The Expedition Two crew worked on a total of 18 different experiments with research ranging from crystal growth to space radiation.
Expedition Three Crew
The members of the Expedition Three crew are commander, Astronaut Frank L. Culbertson Jr. along with flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir Dezhurov. They were launched aboard the shuttle Discovery in August 10, 2001 and returned to Earth in December. The trio lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, performing extensive scientific research. Their mission was highlighted with the addition of a new Russian docking port to the expanding complex. Culbertson is a veteran who flew on two previous shuttle missions. Tyurin made his first flight on Expedition Three, while Dezhurov served as commander of a mission aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1995.
Expedition Four Crew
An increase in science activities, including three spacewalks and new software to support routing of power and data to and from the ISS, marks the main achievement of the Expedition Four crew. The crew members include Russian Commander Yuri Ivanovich Onufrienko, and U.S. Flight Engineers Daniel W. Bursch, a Navy captain and test pilot, and Carl E. Walz, an Air Force colonel. Along with continued Expedition Three experiments, additional research in life, Earth, and microgravity sciences was conducted. During their wait for the Expedition Five crew to arrive on STS-111, Bursch and Walz broke the U.S. space flight endurance record with a total of 196 days in space.
Expedition Five Crew
Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev arrived at the International Space Station in June 2002 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The crew is to perform space walks, continued assembly, and conduct further scientific experiments until the next crew arrives in October. New scientific experiments in biology, physics, and human physiology focus on the effects of long-duration spaceflight, while other experiments will add to our knowledge of materials, plant science, and commercial biotechnology.
November 2, 2002 marked the two year anniversary of continuous residency and perminant human presence in space.
Expedition Six Crew
Cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and astronauts Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on November 23, 2002, and docked with the International Space Station two days later.
The crew increased the science focus aboard the station during their increment, conducting experiments in Earth observation, the effects of long duration space flight on humans, and crystal growth, among others.
After having been on Space Station for nearly six months, the crew returned to Earth on the Soyuz spacecraft and landed on the desert plains of Kazakhstan, Russia.
Expedition Seven Crew
ISS Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Ed Lu were the second crew besides Expedition One to launch aboard the Russian Soyuz from Kazakhstan, Russia. The vehicle docked with the International Space Station on April 28, 2003, marking the start of their six month stay in space. Both crew members are veterans in spaceflight. Malenchenko commanded the Mir 16 mission in 1994 and performed a spacewalk with Lu during STS-106 in September 2000. While continuing science experiments, Malenchenko and Lu prepared the station for additional upgrades, including computer software and another truss structure.
Expedition Eight Crew
European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque joined Expedition 8 crew on their trip to the International Space Station on the Russian Soyuz TMA-3, which launched from Kazakhstan, Russia on October 18, 2003 and docked with the International Space Station two days later. Duque returned home with the Expedition 7 crew on the TMA-2, leaving ISS Commander and Science Officer Michael Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri to their duties aboard the ISS. Science activities, station maintenance, exercise and familiarization with their new home were the crew's focus at the beginning of their 6 month mission, and they continued science experiments and maintenance until the next crew arrived.
Expedition Nine Crew
ISS Commander Gennady Padalka from Russia's Federal Space Agency and NASA's Flight Engineer, Mike Fincke launched on the Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Russia on April 18, 2004. European Space Agency Astronaut André Kuipers joined the Expedition 9 crew on the way up to the ISS, and returned to Earth with the Expedition 8 crew on April 29, 2004. Padalka and Fincke will make use of the "International Orbiting Laboratory," by conducting numerous microgravity experiments. Station maintenance will also be continued, which includes two EVA's (Extravehicular Activity).
To find out more about the International Space Station crew, check out
NASA's Space Station Crew Web page.
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