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| Expedition 22 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Expedition 22 |
| Mission type | International Space Station long-duration expedition |
| Operators | NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, CSA |
| Mission duration | 2009-2009 |
| Crew | Jeffrey Williams; Maxim Suraev; Oleg Kotov; Franklin Chang-Díaz; Yuri Lonchakov; Roberto Vittori |
| Space station | International Space Station |
| Start date | 2009-01-21 |
| End date | 2009-03-18 |
| Previous mission | Expedition 21 |
| Next mission | Expedition 23 |
Expedition 22 Expedition 22 was a long-duration crew increment aboard the International Space Station during early 2009 involving multinational personnel and operations coordinated by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA. The increment featured Soyuz and Space Shuttle interactions connected with STS-119, sustained microgravity research tied to programs from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Space Agency institutes, and crewed activities contributing to international partnerships including United States, Russia, Italy, Canada, and Costa Rica representation. The mission emphasized assembly completion tasks, life sciences investigations, and outreach involving institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and National Aeronautics and Space Administration educational programs.
The Expedition comprised commander Jeffrey Williams (representing NASA), flight engineers Maxim Suraev and Oleg Kotov (representing Roscosmos), and visiting crew members Franklin Chang-Díaz (NASA/Costa Rica heritage), Yuri Lonchakov (Roscosmos), and Roberto Vittori (ESA/Italy), with interactions involving Shuttle Atlantis crew from STS-119 and prior increment personnel from Expedition 21. The complement worked with mission control centers at Johnson Space Center, TsUP (Korolyov), Columbus Control Centre (Darmstadt), and JAXA Tsukuba Space Center to coordinate operations, logistics, and science timelines. Cross-training included modules and systems from Zvezda, Zarya, Destiny, Kibo, and the Columbus (ISS module) laboratory, while resupply and crew exchange were supported by Soyuz TMA spacecraft, Progress (spacecraft), and visiting vehicles like the HTV and ATV in program planning.
Primary objectives included continuing assembly and activation tasks related to the International Space Station configuration pending during the Space Shuttle era, maintaining onboard life support systems such as the Environmental Control and Life Support System, and conducting a broad array of experiments across microgravity research platforms. Science aims targeted physiological studies aligned with institutions like National Institutes of Health, materials science projects with collaboration from European Space Agency entities, and technology demonstrations sponsored by NASA centers and industrial partners including Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Additional objectives focused on international cooperation among United States–Russia relations program elements, validating procedures for long-duration spaceflight that inform exploration architectures led by NASA and partner agencies, and public engagement tasks coordinated with Smithsonian Institution and education offices.
Flight operations included coordination of a Soyuz TMA launch and a Space Shuttle Atlantis docking associated with STS-119 to deliver the S6 Truss segment, solar arrays, and assembly hardware from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station. Docking maneuvers were managed by crew members with assistance from mission control teams at Johnson Space Center and TsUP, using rendezvous sensors derived from Kurs and guidance procedures influenced by systems developed at European Space Agency test facilities. Visiting vehicle traffic planning referenced logistics models from NASA and Roscosmos and utilized docking ports on modules such as Harmony and Unity, while cargo transfers involved collaboration with Mission Control Center engineers and payload specialists from Marshall Space Flight Center.
Extravehicular activities during the increment were tied to assembly work around the S6 Truss installation and to maintenance tasks on external systems including thermal control radiators and power channel hardware. EVAs involved coordination among crewed operators trained at Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and suit support teams from Johnson Space Center and Roscosmos suited operations. Procedures leveraged hardware and training protocols from organizations like Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency partners, and integrated checklists influenced by prior spacewalks from Expedition 21 and STS-119 teams to complete connectivity, cable routing, and camera installations on the station exterior.
Research aboard encompassed human physiology experiments studying musculoskeletal and cardiovascular adaptation coordinated with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cleveland Clinic, and European Space Agency laboratories; materials science investigations drawing on facilities from Leicester University partners; and fluid physics projects utilizing modules like Kibo and Destiny. Experiments included protein crystal growth supervised by teams at National Institutes of Health collaborators, combustion studies linked to Glenn Research Center programs, and technology demonstrations sponsored by NASA and industrial partners including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Data were downlinked to research centers at Johnson Space Center, European Space Agency labs, and partner universities for analysis supporting future missions such as those planned by NASA and international partners.
Crew engaged in educational and public outreach events in collaboration with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, National Aeronautics and Space Administration education offices, and international partners including European Space Agency education programs. The increment hosted live downlinks, student experiments coordinated with NASA's educational initiatives, and media interactions arranged through Johnson Space Center and Roscosmos public affairs offices. Partnerships extended to museums and science centers including Museum of Flight and Science Museum (London) outreach programs to inspire STEM interest and international collaboration narratives tied to space exploration efforts led by NASA and ESA.
The increment contributed to completion of station assembly tasks enabling expanded power and payload capacity through the S6 Truss and solar array installations, impacting subsequent expeditions including Expedition 23 and later long-duration missions. Scientific datasets supported by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Space Agency, and NASA labs informed countermeasure development for musculoskeletal deconditioning relevant to long-duration spaceflight and programs under consideration by NASA and partner agencies. Operational lessons in international coordination among NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA influenced procedures for visiting vehicle traffic, EVA planning, and crew rotation practiced in later programs and exploration planning efforts.