First ISS Crew Arrives
The first long-duration crew arrived at the International Space Station
November 02, 2000
Humans Take Up Permanent Residence in Space
On November 2, 2000, NASA astronaut Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev arrived at the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. They were the first crew to live aboard the ISS, beginning a continuous human presence in space that has not been interrupted since. Shepherd served as the mission commander, and the crew named their expedition "Expedition 1." They spent about four and a half months on the station before returning to Earth in March 2001.
Building the Station
The ISS is the largest structure humans have ever built in space — roughly the size of an American football field. Construction began with the launch of the Russian Zarya module in November 1998. The Unity module, America's first contribution, was added weeks later. By the time Expedition 1 arrived, the station had enough room to live and work, but it was still in the early stages of assembly. More than 40 assembly flights over a decade would be required to complete it.
Why the ISS Matters
The ISS is a collaboration among 15 nations, representing one of the largest peacetime cooperative efforts in history. It has hosted more than 270 people from over 20 countries. Research conducted on board covers medicine, materials science, biology, and physics — all benefiting from the unique conditions of microgravity. The station has helped scientists understand how the human body changes during long-duration spaceflight, which is critical for planning future missions to the Moon and Mars. Human occupation has now lasted over two decades without a single day's break.