Expedition 63

Expedition 63
Mission name	Expedition 63
Caption	Expedition 63 crew portrait aboard the International Space Station
Mission type	International Space Station long-duration expedition
Start date	2020-04-17
End date	2020-10-21
Spacecraft	Soyuz MS-15, Crew Dragon Demo-2, Soyuz MS-16
Station	International Space Station
Operator	Roscosmos, NASA, ESA

Expedition 63 Expedition 63 was a long-duration human spaceflight aboard the International Space Station that operated during 2020, conducting research, robotics, maintenance, and crew rotations during a period marked by global events and the introduction of commercial crew transportation. The increment included multinational personnel from Roscosmos, NASA, JAXA, and ESA, and overlapped with the maiden crewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, generating ties to historical programs such as Soyuz MS operations and the retiring Space Shuttle legacy. The expedition contributed to investigations in microgravity biology, Earth observation, and human physiology while sustaining continuous presence on the orbital complex assembled with modules like Zvezda and Harmony (ISS module).

Crew

The expedition's core crew comprised six people drawn from organizations including Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, and JAXA. Members included experienced flight engineers and commanders with flight histories on vehicles such as Soyuz TMA-11M, Soyuz MS-10, and missions to the Mir space station. Crew backgrounds linked to institutions like the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Johnson Space Center, European Astronaut Centre, and Tsukuba Space Center, and careers that intersected with programs like Vostok, Shenzhou, and Orbital Sciences Corporation partnerships. The roster also involved crewmembers who participated in prior long-duration increments, emergency preparedness exercises tied to NASA Flight Director operations, and public outreach coordinated with agencies including Roscosmos State Corporation and SpaceX.

Mission Objectives

Primary objectives centered on maintaining continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station while advancing research priorities set by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, and JAXA. Scientific aims included investigations in areas associated with Protein Crystal Growth experiments, tissue engineering analogous to studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, and Earth remote sensing linked to programs run by NOAA and European Space Agency Director General initiatives. Technology objectives emphasized demonstrating commercial crew capabilities through the Commercial Crew Program and validating life-support logistics coordinated with supply vehicles like Progress (spacecraft), Cygnus (spacecraft), and HTV (spacecraft). Operational objectives encompassed station maintenance of modules such as Columbus (ISS module) and Kibo (ISS module), and ensuring integration with visiting spacecraft from partners including Roscosmos and SpaceX.

Timeline and Activities

The expedition began with a handover after the undocking of a prior Soyuz, then proceeded through crew handoffs involving flights like Soyuz MS-15 and the historic arrival of Crew Dragon Demo-2. Activities spanned station operations, rendezvous and docking procedures reflecting techniques from Apollo–Soyuz Test Project heritage, and contingency drills informed by lessons from the STS-1 era. Mid-expedition events included scientific runs scheduled under tasking from the International Space Station Multilateral Coordination Board and Earth observation campaigns coordinated with Copernicus Programme and Landsat data needs. The increment concluded with crew return operations using vehicles informed by Soyuz MS-16 timelines and mission control coordination across Mission Control Center (Moscow) and Mission Control Center (Houston).

Spacecraft and Modules

Operations utilized visiting and resident vehicles such as Soyuz MS-15, Soyuz MS-16, and the crewed SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, alongside cargo ships like Progress (spacecraft), Cygnus (spacecraft), and HTV-9. The station architecture in use featured interconnected modules including Zarya, Zvezda, Unity (ISS module), Destiny (ISS Module), Columbus (ISS module), Kibo (ISS module), and truss elements like S1 Truss and P6 Truss. Robotic assets such as the Canadarm2 and the Dextre manipulator performed integration tasks supporting external experiments mounted on platforms such as Bartolomeo and nodes used in prior projects like Node 2.

Science and Experiments

Research during the expedition covered human physiology, biomedicine, materials science, and Earth science. Biological studies addressed muscle atrophy and bone demineralization with protocols linked to work from institutions like the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, while protein crystal investigations built on heritage from Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) and pharmaceutical collaborations with companies including Pfizer and Merck & Co.. Technology demonstrations involved additive manufacturing techniques inspired by experiments from Made In Space and environmental monitoring that fed into datasets used by NASA Earth Science Division and European Space Agency initiatives. Crew members also participated in education and outreach experiments coordinated with organizations such as Student Spaceflight Experiments Program and National Science Foundation affiliates.

EVA and Robotics Operations

Extravehicular activity and robotics tasks supported maintenance, upgrades, and external experiment servicing. Canadarm2 operations paralleled activities from earlier missions like STS-100, and Dextre interventions reduced the need for multiple spacewalks. When EVAs occurred, procedures traced procedural lineage back to training at Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and mission planning with Extravehicular Activity Branch. Robotics-supported tasks included payload transfers to external platforms and inspection of arrays influenced by solar technologies developed in collaboration with entities such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Mission Legacy and Impact

The expedition marked a transition point emphasizing commercial crew integration and multinational cooperation, reinforcing policy directions shaped by the Commercial Crew Program and strategic partnerships with firms like SpaceX and suppliers historically linked to Arianespace. Scientific outputs contributed data to long-term studies overseen by NASA's Human Research Program and international research consortia including Committee on Space Research. Operational lessons informed subsequent expedition planning, docking standards, and crew training at institutions such as the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and Johnson Space Center, while public engagement activities amplified visibility for spaceflight programs like Artemis and educational initiatives supported by STEM Education Coalition.

Category:International Space Station expeditions