Expedition 65 is the 65th long-duration crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and one of the busiest yet.
The mission began on April 17, 2021 with seven crewmembers on board the orbiting lab: the three-person crew of the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft and four astronauts with SpaceX's Crew-1 mission. When a second SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle arrived with four additional Crew-2 astronauts on April 24, it brought the ISS population up to 11 inhabitants — almost double the typical crew size.
See photos of the Expedition 65 crew in action in this Space.com gallery!
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(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
A big crew
The full 11-member Expedition 65 crew poses for a photo aboard the International Space Station on April 24, 2021. On the back row (from left) are NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who arrived in the Soyuz MS-18.
In the center, wearing the black shirts, are the SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts (from left) JAXA's Akihiko Hoshide, NASA's Shane Kimbrough, ESA's Thomas Pesquet and NASA's Megan McArthur. On the left and right sides, SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts: NASA's Michael Hopkins, JAXA's Soichi Noguchi and NASA's Shannon Walker and Victor Glover.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
And then there were seven.
After the SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts returned to Earth, only seven crewmembers were left on board the International Space Station. Framing the official Expedition 65 insignia, the entire crew — comprised of three NASA astronauts, one ESA astronaut, a JAXA astronaut and two cosmonauts — poses for a photo. From left: Pyotr Dubrov, Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Thomas Pesquet, Akihiko Hoshide, Oleg Novitskiy and Mark Vande Hei.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Crew-2 approaches the ISS
Set against a stunning view of Earth, the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour approached the International Space Station on April 24, 2021. The craft carried Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet to the ISS to join Expedition 65.
A full moon rises above Earth's horizon as the Russian Progress 75 (75P) cargo resupply ship, filled with trash, has separated from the International Space Station's Zvezda service module after spending a year docked with the orbiting lab. Progress 75 arrived on April 25, 2020 and departed the station on April 27, 2021, after which it safely burned up in Earth's atmosphere.
(Image credit: Thomas Pesquet/ESA/NASA)
During Expedition 65, Russia launched its new, long-awaited Multipurpose Laboratory Module, also known as Nauka, to the International Space Station. Nauka docked with the ISS on July 29, 2021, after which it briefly misfired its thrusters and sent the station slowly tumbling in orbit. ISS flight controllers were able to fix the situation, and the astronauts were never in any danger, NASA said.
Nauka will serve as a science module for the Russian half of the orbiting lab. Here: a view of Russia's Nauka module docked with the International Space Station on July 29, 2021.
Inside the Columbus laboratory module on April 26, 2021, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet prepares hardware for the Grip experiment — a motion study exploring human cognition in space and improving spacecraft interfaces.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Finding peace
NASA astronaut Megan McArthur and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, who arrived with SpaceX's Crew-1 mission, pose for a photo inside the International Space Station on April 26, 2021.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Coming home
On May 2, 2021 the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience returned to Earth, and an astronaut at the International Space Station captured this view of the spacecraft's reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The craft safely carried astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi back to Earth.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Happy Birthday, Victor!
On April 30, 2021 the SpaceX Crew-1 crewmates celebrated Flight Engineer Victor Glover's birthday aboard the International Space Station a couple of days before heading back to Earth.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Building immunity
Working in the Life Science Glovebox (LSG) in the Kibo laboratory module, NASA's Mark Vande Hei processes the Celestial Immunity study. The study may provide vaccine and drug insights and may advance the commercialization of space.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Chillin'...
From inside the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on May 17, 2021, Oleg Novitiskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos pose for a photo.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
...like a villain
Inside the International Space Station on May 17, 2021, ESA's Thomas Pesquet and NASA's Megan McArthur pose for a photo from inside the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module as well.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Preparing for the trip
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience, which flew on the Crew-1 mission, is pictured outside the Harmony module on May 1, 2021, just hours before safely returning the SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts back to Earth in the Gulf of Mexico.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Space VR
Donning a virtual reality headset and clicking a trackball in the Columbus laboratory module, JAXA's Akihiko Hoshide participates in the Time Perception experiment. The human research study explores astronaut perceptions of space and time possibly impacting future navigation and fine motor coordination in microgravity.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Home Ec Class
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide complete maintenance tasks on a pair of U.S. spacesuits inside the Quest airlock aboard the International Space Station, on May 4, 2021.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Comparing for posterity
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei works on the Celestial Immunity study inside the Life Science Glovebox on May 22, 2021. From inside the Kibo laboratory module, Vande Hei compares donor cell samples to Celestial Immunity samples in hopes of helping scientists develop new vaccines and medications.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Quite the view
The "Super Flower Blood Moon" lunar eclipse of May 26, 2021 was briefly visible from the International Space Station, but only during the partial stage of the eclipse.
A candid moment shared among the Expedition 65 astronauts is caught on camera on May 24, 2021. From right, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, Shane Kimbrogh and Mark Vande Hei laugh inside the Destiny laboratory module.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
A lovely sight
This unique image of a heart-shaped oasis in Egypt was captured by ESA's Thomas Pesquet and shared in honor of Mother's Day, on May 9, 2021.
(Image credit: NASA Johnson)
Football time
Aboard the International Space Station, Thomas Pesquet captured a moment of R&R as he, NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA, in enjoying some European football.
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Christine Lunsford joined the Space.com team in 2010 as a freelance producer and later became a contributing writer, covering astrophotography images, astronomy photos and amazing space galleries and more. During her more than 10 years with Space.com, oversaw the site's monthly skywatching updates and produced overnight features and stories on the latest space discoveries. She enjoys learning about subjects of all kinds.
