NASA and partner agencies spent their Monday celebrating 15 years of humans living on the International Space Station (ISS).
On November 2nd, 2000, the Expedition 1 crew, which included NASA astronaut Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei K. Krikalev, began their 141-day stay on the ISS. There have been 45 expeditions since then, and at least two people at a time occupying the space station.
“Over the weekend, I called NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is currently halfway through his one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, to congratulate him on setting the American records for both cumulative and continuous days in space,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. “I believe the station should be considered the blueprint for peaceful global cooperation. For more than a decade and a half, it has taught us about what’s possible when tens of thousands of people across 15 countries collaborate to advance shared goals.”
NASA celebrated on their ISS 15th anniversary website, posting numbers and facts about the past 15 years and commemorating the milestone. In total, there have been 220 people from 17 countries that have called the orbiting outpost home.
The American portion is funded through 2024 – although it is still unclear how long the outpost will orbit the Earth.
Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in the statement, “I congratulate all of the men and women at NASA and around the world who have worked so hard to keep the International Space Station operational these past 15 years. Everyone involved can be proud of this incredible achievement.”
To celebrate the 15 years, NASA illustrated the milestone with the help of 15 gifs. Below is when Expedition 1 first arrived.
