Expedition 1 Began the ISS's Continuous Human Presence 26 Years Ago
Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev began their stay aboard the International Space Station on November 2, 2000.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: NASA
Expedition 1 began its stay aboard the International Space Station on November 2, 2000, with NASA astronaut Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev arriving aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.
Key details
- The crew spent about four and a half months aboard the station.
- They unpacked supplies and installed equipment, including the station’s first solar arrays.
- Space Shuttle Discovery returned Expedition 1 to Earth and carried the Expedition 2 crew to the station.
- As of November 2, 2026, people had maintained a continuous presence aboard the ISS for 26 years.
Expedition 1 installed the station’s first solar arrays during its four-and-a-half-month stay.
Why it matters
Expedition 1 established the first long-duration crew presence aboard the ISS. Its work installing equipment, including solar arrays, helped prepare the station for continued human occupancy.
What happens next
The ISS continues a human-presence record that began with Expedition 1. Which milestone in the station’s history stands out to you?
More stories
HiRISE Image Reveals Colorful Rocks in Mars' Southern Highlands
SpaceX's Starshield Program Targets Government Satellite Communications
Ryanair Reports €2.15 Billion First-Half Profit as Passenger Numbers Rise
Greece Orders Up to Six Embraer KC-390 Aircraft
American Airlines Restarts Daily Miami–Cap-Haïtien Flights
