11.08.10 / News
Celebrating 10 Years in Space with NASA
On Monday, November 1st, 2010, NASA celebrated 10 years of continuous habitation onboard the International Space Station. The last Space Station that held the continuous habitation record was Russia’s Mir Space Station with 3,644 days. NASA also surpassed the 1.5 billion mile mark of its travels, the following day with six residents on board and six visitors on their way.
Phoenix Logistics has supported the International Space Station with space grade interconnect products since 1996. In addition to providing space rated In-Line Data Bus Couplers we have supported NASA with unique solutions to difficult engineering challenges. In 1999 we developed and installed a solution for a problem with the ISS Trailing Umbilical System (TUS) cable connectors. The TUS provides power, command and data and video connections to the Mobile Transporter railcar. Two redundant cable reels support the Mobile Transporter and Mobile Base System, a movable platform that allows the station’s robotic arm to move back and forth along the truss in support of construction and maintenance work. In 2007 we provided, engineering, product, training, and support services at Kennedy Space Flight Center for the Phoenix Logistics TUS connector solution.
The size of the International Space Station is larger than an American sized football field and as large as a five-bedroom home. For the last ten years, the residents of the ISS have lived, worked, and played onboard. When asked what the next 10 years look like, ISS Mike Suffredini, program manager, had this to say, “With its permanent human presence, it will serve as a foothold for long-term exploration into space, being an integral part of testing human endurance, equipment reliability and processes essential for space exploration.”
Phoenix Logistics congratulates NASA on 10 years of continuous habitation in space, and looks forward to being a valued partner for NASA over the next 10 years of manned space flight.
For more information about the NASA’s 10 year milestone please visit the NASA web site at NASA- 10 Years and Counting.
