NASA scientists will break out the thermostabalized beef tips and rehydratable apple cider Wednesday as they celebrate a major space milestone.
They'll be marking the fifth anniversary of a continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its partners, with crews living and working on the station for more than 1,825 consecutive days.
"We are at a crossroads, deciding whether we are bound to inhabit only the Earth, or if humans are to live and work far from the home planet," said Bill Shepherd, the commander of the first crew to arrive at the station Nov. 2, 2000.
"Let us continue with new explorations which are more expansive and bold; voyages which will define us as a space faring civilization," he said.
The station partnership includes NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
Explore further:
Slovenian flyer lands in France on return trip from Arctic
