ISS expedition 1

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem Expedition 1
Mission dates
Mission: ISS expedition 1
Crew: 3
Rescue ships: Soyuz TM-31
Space station: ISS
Start: November 2, 2000, 09:21:03  UTC
Started by: Coupling of Soyuz TM-31
The End: March 19, 2001, 04:32:00 UTC
Ended by: Decoupling from STS-102
Duration: 136d 19h 11min
Team photo
(from left) Sergei Krikaljow, William Shepherd and Juri Gidsenko
(from left) Sergei Krikaljow, William Shepherd and Juri Gidsenko
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ISS expedition 2

ISS Expedition 1 is the mission name for the first long-term crew of the International Space Station (ISS). The crew lived and worked on board the ISS from November 2, 2000 to March 18, 2001. Their main task was to activate the main systems of the space station . In addition, new equipment was installed, errors eliminated and the first scientific work carried out.

team

Substitute team

the crew of the ISS expedition 3 :

Mission description

After the launch went according to plan, the Soyuz spacecraft coupled with the first permanent crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on November 2nd . The first work concerned the activation of vital systems, such as water treatment, a carbon dioxide absorber (Vosduch), the kitchen and the toilet. In addition, computers for a US communications system and the central control of the Zvezda module were installed.

In the following weeks, other systems in the station were activated and tested, minor sources of error that occurred were localized and eliminated, and new hardware was received and installed. The first scientific work concerned the growth of protein crystals , experiments by American school children with plants and an electronic camera (EarthKAM), earth observation, material tests, medical examinations and measurements of air quality and noise development in different areas of the station. In addition, the electron oxygen generator , a computer network, an amateur radio system in the Sarja module ( ARISS project), data lines to the lower coupling unit of the Zvezda module (Zvezda nadir ) as well as a manual control and a monitor for the TORU system (Telerobotically Operated Rendezvous Unit), with which unmanned transport spaceships can be controlled from the station if the automatic system malfunctions. A first test of this system was successful.

The TORU was first used when the Progress M1-4 arrived on November 18th due to a software bug. The unmanned transport spaceship docked at the Nadir port in Zarya and brought two tons of clothing, supplies, oxygen, computer hardware and some gifts from the families of the three space travelers. Shepherd, Gidsenko and Krikalev spent several days unloading and inventorying the cargo. A new air purification system was also included, which replaced a defective device of the same type in the station.

To make way for the space shuttle Endeavor , Progress M1-4 was decoupled on December 1st and placed in a parking orbit about 2,300 kilometers from the station. The new docking took place on December 26th. New software was used that had previously been transferred to the spaceship's computer. Progress M1-4 was finally decoupled on February 8, just before the arrival of the space shuttle Atlantis .

Two days after its launch on December 1, the American space shuttle Endeavor docked at the station. While outboard of the STS-97 astronauts Carlos Noriega and Joe Tanner , the power module P6 has been mounted and connected, the men of the tribe Department cables laid inside the station so that the power from the new solar cells could be used. Research materials and debris were also transported into the space shuttle while supplies were received. In a joint experiment between the two crews, autonomous measuring capsules were used, which wirelessly transmitted their values ​​for the stability of the station to a computer.

Christmas was also celebrated in space. The feast was hydrogenated turkey. Extended video conferences were also held with family members. After the freighter Progress M1-4 docked again, its proximity control was expanded for later analysis on earth. After that, the freighter was mainly used as a garbage container for the regular crew. Its engines could also be used for orbit corrections.

In the following years mainly biomedical experiments were carried out. Among other things, cardiac activity was measured during exercise (experiment Cardio-ODTN ). In addition, the Tschibis vacuum suit was used. With it, the lower half of the body is exposed to a negative pressure (from 10 to 60 mm of mercury). This will pump more blood to the lower parts of the body. This means a certain relief for the blood circulation . Further medical examinations concerned the amount and distribution of blood in the human organism ( Sprut MBI experiment ). Changes in the relationship between cellular and circulating blood are of particular interest. In the Parodont experiment , the oral cavity was examined more closely. Among other things, the concentration of immunoglobulin , the proportions of pathogens and antibodies as well as the individual components of the microflora in the oral cavity were determined. For this purpose, saliva samples and tooth swabs were taken and frozen. The Prognos and Bradoz experiments were used to develop a real-time prediction method and to more precisely determine the actual radiation exposure of the crew. In addition to proven dosimeters , innovative systems were also used that use thermoluminescence , semiconductor materials and seeds of higher plants as detectors. In addition to the radiation dose , the direct biological and genetic effects can also be determined. Uragan was engaged in testing ground-based and space-based systems to predict natural or man-made disasters on earth. The Crew Earth Observation (CEO) experiment was also about observing and documenting special formations on earth. These included large river deltas in South and East Asia, coral reefs, floodplains, glaciers, impact craters, earth folds and ecologically sensitive areas as well as weather phenomena such as El Niño . In Identifikatsija focused on the structural loads of the station when coupled maneuvers, course corrections, sports activities of crew members and extravehicular activities. For this purpose, acceleration values ​​were measured in different parts of the station with linear-optical and conventional systems. The focus of the Tensor experiment was on testing new techniques to determine the movement characteristics of the ISS more precisely. This included determining the moments of inertia , the air resistance of the growing station and the precise determination of its center of gravity. The quality of microgravity on board was the experiment IZGIB examined while Priviazka dealt with changes in shape of the station. At Iskashenije , magnetic interferences and their possible effects on the conduct of experiments and orientation to the earth's magnetic field were the subject of investigation.

The normal everyday life of the regular crew during the mission was generally something like this: After getting up at 5 a.m. (world time), the three space travelers took time for the morning toilet, breakfast and individual information, mostly by e-mail. In addition, they went through the daily schedule again. Work was carried out from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., often longer, interrupted by a lunch break. Then the next day's activities were discussed. In addition, two hours of sport were compulsory every day. There is also a bicycle ergometer and a treadmill on board the station. However, massive problems occurred with these devices. The weekends were essentially free and for relaxation. There were exceptions, however, when work had to be carried out on the life support system and when a transporter or shuttle was docked.

In January, in addition to maintenance and repair work on a battery charger, the final preparations were made for the expansion of the station to include the American research laboratory Destiny . When its start was delayed, more extensive work was done on inventorying the devices, equipment and supplies that were already available. All articles are listed in a computer database with their number and storage location. In addition, emergency exercises were carried out. The previously limited scientific program provided for biomedical and technological experiments. This included vibration measurements with the MACE (Middeck Active Control Experiment) measurement complex originally developed for the space shuttle , as well as the documentation of predominantly natural phenomena on earth. In William Shepherd's logbook, hardware and software problems with the computers were repeatedly noted, especially in the first few weeks. A not inconsiderable part of the working time was devoted to solving these problems. The central server in the Zvezda module works with the Windows NT operating system .

After the American laboratory module had been installed by the STS-98 team on February 11, 2001, the regular crew activated its systems together with the crew of the Atlantis shuttle. This included air ventilation and cooling, controls for internal communication, position control, life support, environmental data, command and data processing and the energy supply. A rack with an air treatment system was also installed. However, the carbon dioxide absorber could not initially be put into operation because a pump was defective. However, the on-board computer, the fire alarm and alarm system and the position control gyro in the grid element Z1, which are controlled by computers in the Destiny module, were activated. The current state of the laboratory was with IMAX - Camera documented.

On February 24th, the crew stopped their work in the laboratory module and boarded their spaceship. The coupling connection at the rear end of the Zvezda module had to be cleared for the arrival of the unmanned transport ship Progress M-44. For this reason, pilot Gidsenko uncoupled the Soyuz spacecraft , moved up to about 150 m from the station, flew around it partially and approached the front part of the Zarya module from below. After a flight time of 31 minutes Soyuz TM-31 docked again with the ISS. In the event that the coupling failed, many of the station's systems had been deactivated beforehand. These were then restarted. On February 26th, Progress M-44 took off from Baikonur and docked at the station 2 days later. The transport ship brought fuel, spare parts, clothing, food, computers, office supplies and the first ESA experiment PKE (plasma crystal experiment). Until the arrival of the space shuttle Discovery , the space travelers were busy unloading the transporter and preparing for its return to Earth.

When the Discovery docked with the ISS on March 10, preparations began immediately for the return of the three space travelers. This mainly included handover formalities, medical tests and increased physical training. At a joint press conference, the commander of the first ISS crew summarized the mission in the following words:

“We moved into an uninhabited outpost and now have a fully functional station where the next crew can do research. I believe this is the substance of our mission. "

The cosmonaut Yuri Ussachev , who arrived on the space shuttle, took command of the ISS on March 19. Two hours later, the space shuttle undocked with Shepherd, Gidsenko, and Krikalev. They returned to Earth on March 21, 2001 after an overall successful mission.

See also

Web links

Commons : ISS Expedition 1  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Todd Halvorson: Space Station Is Opened For Business As Expedition One Crew Floats Aboard. In: Space.com. November 2, 2000, archived from the original on December 19, 2009 ; accessed on September 26, 2019 .
  2. ↑ STS-102 on spacefacts.de, accessed on September 26, 2019.
  3. ↑ Usachyov, Yuri Vladimirovich in the Encyclopedia Astronautica , accessed on September 28, 2019 (English).