July 29, 2003

Allard Beutel 
Headquarters, Washington 
(Phone: 202/358-4769) 

Kylie Moritz 
Johnson Space Center, Houston 
(Phone: 281/483-5111) 

RELEASE: 03-251

MILESTONE MARKED IN SPACE -- 1,000 DAYS OF HUMAN PRESENCE ON STATION

A milestone will be marked in space Tuesday, the 1,000th consecutive 
day of people living and working aboard the International Space 
Station. Seven crews have lived on the Space Station, as it has 
dramatically grown in size and capabilities. 

Since the first crew arrived Nov. 2, 2000, the Station has grown into 
an unparalleled space laboratory whose size will eventually more than 
double. The living and working area has increased 6,000 cubic feet 
during the past 1,000 days. The Station's 15,000 cubic feet volume is 
larger than a three-bedroom house. 

The seven Expedition crews, 10 Americans and 10 Russians, have 
conducted 12 spacewalks from the Station, welcomed 11 visiting 
Shuttles, 10 Russian Progress cargo vehicles and four Soyuz taxi 
crews. Additions to the Station include solar arrays of unprecedented 
size; the first space railway, stretching more than 130 feet; and a 
science facility, more sophisticated than any ever previously flown 
in space, the U.S. Destiny Lab. Canada provided a new generation of 
space robotics with the unmatched capabilities of the Canadarm2. Dual 
Russian and U.S. airlocks are functional and support spacewalks. 

The Expedition 7 crew aboard the Station, Commander Yuri Malenchenko 
and NASA International Space Station Science Officer Ed Lu, will 
commemorate the 1,000th day of continuous human presence Tuesday at 
10:35 a.m. EDT on NASA TV. NASA TV is broadcast on AMC-9, transponder 
9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 
3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.80 
MHz. 

Inside the orbiting complex, crews have created a home, as well as a 
laboratory with quarters, galley, and weightless "weight room" along 
side seven research facilities. 

Aboard the Station, research has been conducted in bioastronautics, 
physical sciences, fundamental space biology, space product 
development and space flight disciplines. Experiments conducted by 
Station crews may provide insight that could lead to improved crops, 
better braking systems, advanced spacecraft materials and petroleum 
industry advancements. Space Station research also provides crucial 
insight into the effects of weightlessness on humans, paving the way 
for future human space exploration, as well as fundamental research 
in cell growth and fluid physics. 

Astronaut Peggy Whitson, the first NASA International Space Station 
Science Officer named last year during Expedition 5, helped intensify 
the focus on research. Today, Lu continues research inside the 
Destiny Lab. He recently installed a new experiment in the 
Microgravity Science Glovebox that studies a reduction in the 
strength of metals, such as those used in turbine blades and dental 
fillings. 

The Expedition 7 crew also maintains the Earth Knowledge Acquired by 
Middle Schools (EarthKAM) project that involves middle school 
students from around the world. Through the optical quality window in 
the Destiny Lab, students have taken more than 6,000 photos of Earth 
via EarthKam to support classes in Earth science, geography, social 
studies, mathematics and art. 

During the next 1,000 days, Station science operations will increase. 
The assembly of essential U.S. Station components is expected to 
continue followed by the installation of international laboratories 
that will triple the size of research facilities. The European 
Columbus Laboratory will expand the Station's size to that of a 
five-bedroom house. A European Automated Transfer Vehicle will serve 
as an additional spacecraft for transporting supplies to the Station. 
The "Kibo" Japanese Experiment Module will be added to further 
increase the Station's science capabilities. 

For information about NASA, human space flight, astronauts, and the 
International Space Station on the Internet, visit: 



http://www.nasa.gov

	
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