Twenty years ago this week, Expedition 1 docked with the International Space Station, kicking off two decades of uninterrupted human presence onboard the orbital laboratory. Today we are celebrating this anniversary and historic moment in spaceflight history with a pop quiz!
What day did Expedition 1 launch to the International Space Station?
On Halloween in 2000, the three-person Expedition 1 crew launched to the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
What day did Expedition 1 dock with the International Space Station?
On Nov. 2, 2000, the three-person Expedition 1 crew docked with the station, beginning twenty years of continuous human presence on the ISS.
Which of the following space explorers was a part of the Expedition 1 crew?
NASA astronaut Bill Shepherd, and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko, comprised the three-person crew for Expedition 1, becoming the first men to permanently live and work aboard the ISS.
Which of the following was part of the crew's first activities onboard the ISS?
Among the crew's first activities on station during the Expedition 1 mission were turning on the lights and water processors, setting up the communication systems, and activating the toilet.
What did the Expedition 1 crew members have trouble with during their mission?
The crew of Expedition 1 faced many problems during their mission, including communication struggles, a food warmer issue, and a dangerous cargo ship docking. In a recent NASA interview, the Expedition 1 crew shared their experiences about the historic flight and opened up about some things they grappled with during the mission, like the two control centers (in Houston and Moscow) sending conflicting directions. A food warmer also caused problems when the setup took much longer to get up and running then the crew had allotted time for. It ended up taking the crew a day and half to set it up when they had only allowed 30 minutes in their schedule. Lastly, a cargo ship docking almost took a tragic turn when it began to wobble as it approached the ISS to dock. The oscillation became a danger to the crew so they took over via manual controls and successfully maneuvered the cargo ship to dock safely with the ISS.
How many shuttle missions visited the ISS while the trio were on station?
Three shuttle missions (STS-97, 98, and 102) visited the station while the Expedition 1 trio were living onboard.
The Expedition 1 trio remains the only crew to have celebrated the beginning of a new century and millennium in space.
True. The Expedition 1 crew remains the only crew to have celebrated the beginning of a new century and millennium in space.
When did the Expedition 1 crew members fly home?
Shepherd, Gidzenko, and Krikalev flew home aboard the shuttle orbiter Discovery on March 19, 2001.
