International Space Station: 15 Years of No Off-the-Earth Vacancies

Summary: On Nov. 2, the International Space Station marks 15 years of no off-the-Earth vacancies for an international community continuously crewed since 2000.

The International Space Station's length and width is about the size of a football field: NASA, Public Domain, via NASA

Nov. 2, 2015, marks the milestone of International Space Station’s 15 years of continuous crews forming a high altitude, international community, “Off the Earth, For the Earth,” as a joint project of five space agencies representing Canada, Europe, Japan, Russian and the United States.

Along with NASA’s Scott Kelly as commander, two American and three Russian flight engineers celebrate the momentous event, known as ISS 15, as members of Expedition 45. Business-as-usual for the week includes a spacewalk by Commander Kelly and Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren to perform cooling system repairs.

NASA’s special treat for the crew on Nov. 2 recognizes the importance of music for the orbiting crew by uploading an original musical video highlighting tidbits of the 15-year anniversary.

Music often plays during the workday throughout the International Space Station’s different modules, and the astronauts listen to tunes in their small, private quarters as well. Just as on Earth, coffee rituals frame the start of an astronaut’s day. A favorite spot is the seven-window observation cupola.

Commander Kelly notes: “Some weekend mornings, I float to the cupola with my coffee and listen [to music] as I reflect on this journey, looking down at our beautiful world on which most of us live.”

Music inspired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, during his command of Expedition 35, from March 15 to May 13, 2013, to play his original songs on the Larrivée Parlor acoustic guitar that had been delivered to the station back in 2001. On his last day in space, Hadfield released his on-board recording of a version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity."

In the 15 years since the International Space Station opened hatches to Expedition 1 on Nov. 2, 2000, the station has grown from two attached modules, Zarya (“Sunrise”) and Unity, supplied by Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA, to a massive, 13-room example of space architecture, with a weight of 924,739 pounds (419,455 kilograms). The station’s length and width approximate the size of an American football field. Cost of construction, which was completed in 2011, are estimated at over $100 billion.

The station orbits at a height of about 250 miles (402 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. At a speed of about 5 miles per second (8 kilometers per second), the station completes its orbit every 90 minutes and logs about 15.5 orbits daily.

The crew of Expedition 34 (Nov. 18, 2012-March 15, 2013) explained “Off the Earth, For the Earth,” the motto inscribed on their mission patch, as: "Our acknowledgment of the responsibility and commitment to work diligently for all inhabitants of planet Earth."

The International Space Station's 15 years of continued occupancy has yielded much scientific and technical information with value not only for Earth but also for further space exploration, such as expeditions to Mars.

Among the knowledge gained is the importance of music in such isolated places as the space station, as noted by Commander Kelly, who adds: “I imagine music will be equally as important to future space travelers as we go further beyond our global sphere.”

Commander Scott Kelly in International Space Station cupola, a favorite spot for coffee, music, and views, July 12, 2015: Scott Kelly selfie, Public Domain, via NASA

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

International Space Station: NASA, Public Domain, via NASA @ https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/overview/index.html

ISS Commander Scott Kelly in cupola: Scott Kelly selfie, Public Domain, via NASA @ http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/scott-kelly-becomes-us-astronaut-to-spend-the-most-time-in-space

For further information:

Chris Hadfield. "Space Oddity." YouTube. May 12, 2013.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

"International Space Station Imagery." NASA Human Space Flight > Gallery > Station > Crew Imagery. Updated Oct. 30, 2012.
Available @ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-34/html/iss034-s-001.html

Intl. Space Station‏ @Space_Station. "Gather ‘round and listen to a little story about @Space_Station, humanity’s home in orbit for 15 consecutive years." Twitter. Nov. 2, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/661266177025425408

Karpf, Joshua. "Songs of a Year in Space." Spotify. Oct. 19, 2015.
Available @ https://news.spotify.com/us/2015/10/19/songs-of-a-year-in-space/