Expedition 70 Crew Phones Home to Celebrate 25 Years of Space Station Operations

by Linda Grimm | 2023-12-12

Expedition 70 crew members joined NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana and International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano for a special space-to-Earth call on December 6, 2023, to highlight the orbiting laboratory’s 25 years of operations. Cabana and Montalbano spoke to the crew from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and spent time reflecting on the space station’s accomplishments and the crew’s experience of living and working in microgravity.

Two men, one wearing an astronaut jacket, sit at a table in front of a large image of the Earth taken from space. — NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana and International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano listen to Expedition 70 crew members answer their questions during a live station downlink on December 6, 2023. **Credit: NASA/David Dehoyos**

“We want to celebrate today all the people who designed, built, and operate the International Space Station,” said Montalbano. “It’s been one of the best things I’ve been able to do in my career. People like you on orbit, people here on the ground – they make it special every day.”

Cabana, who commanded the STS-88 mission that delivered the Unity module to space and mated it to the Zarya module, recalled his experience of being one of the first people to board the space station in orbit. “When we entered for the first time on December 10, Sergey Krikalev and I went through all the modules side-by-side as an international crew,” he said, adding that 273 people from 21 different countries have visited the space station since then.

Seven astronauts wearing red polo shirts are shown on a television screen while floating onboard the International Space Station. — Expedition 70 crew members are shown on a television screen at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as they answer questions about their experience onboard the International Space Station. **Credit: NASA/David Dehoyos**

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli said that bringing international partners together has strengthened the program and been key to the space station’s successes. “We each bring our unique perspectives, not just from our nationalities, but also our unique backgrounds,” she said. “When you have multiple partners working together, you’re stronger and more resilient.”

International Space Station Commander Andreas Mogensen, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut, expressed excitement at the growing number of countries that are sending astronauts to the orbital outpost through commercial programs to contribute to science and technology demonstrations. “I hope we’ll continue to see more and more countries send their national astronauts up here in order to increase the international aspect of the space station,” he said.

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara said that she was surprised by the complexity of the space station program and wished everyone on Earth understood how many people it involves. “There are teams of people all over the world who are figuring out every aspect of these missions – everything from our food and clothes to the science research we’ll be doing on board. They’re also the ones who are operating space station,” she said. “We are super grateful to be supported by this amazing team.”

Two men stand at the front of a room speaking to people seated at rows of long tables in front of them. — NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana and International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano speak with International Space Station Program employees prior to their conversation with Expedition 70 crew members. **Credit: NASA/David Dehoyos**

Cabana urged the crew to treasure their experience on the space station together and thanked them for their hard work. “We really appreciate what you guys are doing up there - all the science, the investigations to make life better here on Earth and prepare us for exploring beyond our home planet as we go back to the Moon with Artemis and on to Mars.”