NASA Marks 25 Years of Continuous Human Presence in Orbit as Artemis II Advances Toward Final Preparation
Marcus Hale Space & Exploration Analyst Crew members of Expedition 73 working aboard the International Space Station as NASA marks 25 years of continuous human presence in orbit. Photo credit: NASA. NASA and its international partners recognized 25 years of uninterrupted human presence aboard the International Space Station this month. The agency used the milestone to highlight the program’s influence on current deep space planning, especially as Artemis II moves closer to final readiness. The first ISS crew arrived in November 2000. At the time, NASA expected the station to serve as a long-term laboratory. Two and a half decades later, engineers say its operational record has become a reference for nearly every human-spaceflight decision the agency now makes. “We do not approach Artemis II from scratch,” said Laura McAllister, a deputy manager within the agency’s human exploration division. “We have more than ...