This
story was updated at 11:35 a.m. EDT.
Welcome to the
International Space Station, Population: 6. The space station finally reached
its full crew size early Friday when three new spaceflyers arrived to double the
number of people aboard after more than 10 years of
construction in orbit.
The new
crewmembers docked their Russian-built Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft at the station
at about 8:34 a.m. EDT (1234 GMT) as they flew 220 miles (354 km) above the
south coast of China. The orbital arrival brought the station to its full,
six-person crew size for the first time in history and includes a spaceflyer
from each of the $100
billion station's major partner agencies.
"We have
the contact," said Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, a second-generation
cosmonaut who commanded the Soyuz.
Riding
aboard the Soyuz TMA-15 with Romanenko and Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne of
the European Space Agency, and Canadian spaceflyer Robert Thirsk. They were
welcomed at the station by its commander, Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka,
and flight engineers Michael Barratt, of NASA, and Koichi Wakata, of Japan.
"It's an
historic day, and it's also a very happy day," said Thirsk, Canada's first
long-duration astronaut, after arriving aboard. "You can't imagine the state of
elation the six of us have right now."
As the two three-man crews merged into one, they greeted one another with wide smiles and warm hugs. The spaceflyers waved excitedly to flight controllers on Earth via a video link and Romanenko pumped his fist victoriously in the air several times.
Together,
the six spaceflyers make up the station's Expedition 20 and they are the most
international mix ever sent to the outpost. They represent the space
agencies of Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan, as well as 11 countries of the
European Space Agency.
"I think
it's a great way to kick off six-person crews," NASA's deputy station program
manager Kirk Shireman said Thursday. "We've been waiting for this for a long
time."
Historic
arrival
The Soyuz
TMA-15 blasted off from Kazakhstan on Wednesday to ferry the second wave of the
station's Expedition 20 crew into orbit. Its arrival today capped years of
construction and intense work to prepare the station to support a full-six
person crew, which would nearly triple the amount of science that can be
performed.
"The
International Space Station is the most
successful project ever taken upon by humankind," said Joel Montalbano, director
of NASA's space operations in Russia. Montalbano and other officials from the
Russian, U.S., Canadian and Japanese space agencies hailed the station's new
six-person crew.
Construction
of the space station began in 1998 with the launch of Russia's unmanned Zarya
control module. Two other rooms, NASA's Unity connecting node and Russia's
Zvezda service module - which houses crew quarters, a bathroom, kitchen and
dining table, were added by 2000, when the first three-man crew took up
residence.
But delays
and NASA's tragic 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster slowed the station's
construction. It wasn't until November 2008 shuttle that the station received
the equipment necessary to support a full-sized crew. That mission delivered
vital gear like a second kitchen, spare
bathroom and recycling equipment that turns astronaut urine and sweat back
into drinking water.
Padalka,
Barratt and Wakata toasted the water recycling system's operational status last
week by drinking
water recycled from their own sweat and urine. The system is vital for the
station's ability to support six people in space since it cuts down the amount
of water that must be shipped to the outpost, allowing for more cargo like
food, air and science equipment.
"It has
been 10 years in the making, this event," Padalka
said after the docking. "This
is very exciting and so we're ready to start utilizing the station."
Growing
space station
Since the
first station crew took charge, new modules from the U.S., Europe and Japan
have been added to the outpost. Earlier this year, astronauts added the last
pair of U.S. solar arrays at the station, which is now longer than an American
football field and can be easily seen by the unaided eye from the ground.
Inside, the station has a living space equivalent to a five-bedroom home or a 747
jumbo jet, astronauts have said.
"I think it
shows a great example to the rest of the world that if nations want to work
together for something great, for something wonderful, something for the future
of our kids, that we can achieve some wonderful things, De Winne said before
launch. "I hope we can continue this for many, many years to come."
De Winne will
become the first
European commander of the space station later this year when Padalka and
Barratt return home in October. Romanenko is the third second-generation
spaceflyer to reach orbit (after fellow cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and American
space tourist Richard Garriott), and Russia's second cosmonaut to fly in space
after his father. His father, Yuri Romanenko, commanded three space missions in
the late 1970s and 1980s.
Busy
spaceflight looms
Friday's Soyuz
docking kicks off a daunting mission that includes two visiting NASA shuttles
and 10 spacewalks, two of which will be performed by the station crew in early
June.
NASA plans
to launch the shuttle Endeavour to the space station on June 13 to deliver the
last piece of the outpost's massive Japanese Kibo laboratory. When the shuttle
arrives, a record 13 people will live and work aboard the station for a short
while. A second shuttle mission in August will deliver new equipment and
supplies.
Japan also
plans to launch its first-ever unmanned cargo ship to the station, the H-2
Transfer Vehicle, during the flight.
Each
shuttle visit will swap out one member of the current six-man crew. Larger crew
rotations will be performed aboard Soyuz spacecraft. Russia plans to launch
four Soyuz vehicles a year. NASA on Thursday announced a new contract with Russia
that will allow it to buy six Soyuz seats in 2012 and 2013 for about $306
million, or about $51 million a seat.
In October,
the crew will shift to Expedition 21 mission, with De Winne in charge, when the
relief arrives for Padalka and Barratt - who have lived aboard the station
since late March.
"We've got
an incredible potential for success here," Thirsk said. "You ain't seen nothing
yet."
advertisement
