International Space Station Technical Forum

Celebrating 15 years of continuous crewing

Date: 31 October 2015
Start Time: 9.30 am
End Time: 4.30 pm

Venue: 27/29 South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall, London, SW8 1SZ

The Expedition One crew members are about to eat fresh fruit in the form of oranges onboard the Zvezda Service Module of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS). Pictured, from the left, are cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, Soyuz commander; astronaut William M. Shepherd, mission commander; and cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev, flight engineer.

On 31 October 2000 the first ISS resident crew was launched aboard Soyuz TM-31 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Two days later the Soyuz docked to the embryonic space station marking a significant milestone in its assembly and operations. In the fifteen years since that date almost 50 resident crews have occupied the now completed space station conducting a wide range of research and setting numerous records along the way.

Construction of the International Space Station began in November 1998, and as the programme moves into its eighteenth year of operations the forthcoming mission of UK astronaut Tim Peake as a member of ISS 46/47 will feature in the planned programme. The ISS is the longest serving active space station surpassing the previous record of fifteen years by the Russian Mir space complex which achieves ten years on constant crewing. Current plans to utilise ISS extend into the next decade and will hopefully encompass the 50^th anniversary of Salyut, the world’s first space station.

This forum will offer the opportunity to discuss and learn more about the development of the station, its assembly, components, operations and current research activities. In addition we hope to feature the publication of the third volume in the BIS International Space Station series From Imagination to Reality compiled by George Spiteri.

Co-ordinated by Dave Shayler, the Society is now accepting papers for the event. Should you wish to present a paper on the ISS programme, assembly, its research fields, operations or history please contact the Society – [email protected] – as soon as possible. Further details will be published as they develop.

Programme

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