Ten years ago today — July 13, 2001 — the Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station to deliver a new airlock.
(Mission Specialist James Reilly moving through the newly-installed airlock. NASA image.)
STS-104, also known as ISS Assembly Mission 7-A, had launched on July 12th* carrying astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, Charles O. Hobaugh, Michael L. Gernhardt, James F. Reilly, and Janet L. Kavandi. The crew spent a total of 12 days in space, completing three spacewalks to attach the joint airlock module — so named because it supports both U.S. and Russian spacesuits — to the Unity Node, attach high-pressure gas tanks to the airlock, and complete troubleshooting on the new system. Once in place, the airlock was named “Quest.”
In other space history, 5 years ago yesterday** Bigelow Aerospace‘s inflatable test unit Genesis-1 was launched from Russia’s ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex atop a Dnepr rocket. Their inflatable space structures concept is very compelling, and I hope they’re able to make it work and turn a profit.
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*I usually post these on the launch anniversary. What can I say? I’m a slacker.
**I already owned up to my slackitude once, in the previous footnote. What do you want from me?
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