ISS crew congratulated all involved with 20th anniversary of station’s manned operation

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The International Space Station crew members Sergei Ryzhikov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Kathleen Rubins congratulated everyone involved with 20th anniversary of ISS’s manned operation. Station commander Sergei Ryzhikov reminded that the ISS first main crew of Sergei Krikalyov, Yuri Gidzenko and William Shepherd arrived to the station on November 2, 2000. "This date is considered the starting point of ISS’s manned operation," Ryzhikov noted in his video address. "We congratulate all participants of this incredible international project and would like to thank all of them," Kud-Sverchkov added. The cosmonaut also thanked everyone who stood at the origins of the project, who provided and continues to provide it with support and who aid the crew in its difficult work. "Thanks to the first ISS crew, who did a fantastic job bringing the ISS and all its systems to life," Kud-Sverchkov added. NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins called the ISS a symbol of international cooperation and expressed her certainty that the experience, obtained on the station would be used in new projects on Earth. The first ISS crew took off on October 31, 2000, spent over 136 days onboard and returned home on March 2001, on a US space shuttle. Read more