This message is adapted from the one just sent to the JSC team by JSC center director Mark Geyer.
November 20th marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the International Space Station. On that day in 1998, a Russian Proton rocket lifted the first module (Zarya) into space, followed two weeks later by Unity, carried by Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-88.
Many NASA flight docs have contributed to make the ISS what it is today: the cornerstone of innovation for space exploration and its benefit to humankind.
More than 200 astronauts and cosmonauts from 18 countries have visited the ISS and contributed to more than 2,500 investigations. Great research, innovation, fundamental scientific discovery, and testing of exploration concepts and technology will continue aboard the space station. Space station has also developed and implemented critical commercialization techniques like commercial cargo resupply that will enable a low-Earth orbit commercial economy and allow NASA to expand these ideas into its exploration strategy. We are building upon the successes of the space station to get us further into deep space.
The idea of this incredible orbiting platform was a daring one. Its assembly alone took over 41 flights over a period of 13 years. As the leader of the space station architecture, NASA united with our Russian, European, Canadian and Japanese partners to create this one of a kind laboratory in space. There were many challenges along the way, including policy and technical hurdles, but the NASA team weathered them all. Our success in ISS should give us confidence that we will work through the challenges ahead on our current development programs (CCP, Orion and Gateway).
When we see photos of Earth from the ISS after a natural disaster, witness a new scientific discovery or simply stare up at the sky at night as the station passes over us, we are reminded of the impact of the work we are doing is having to life on earth.
I’m proud of our achievements