Space Station Agency Leaders Look to the Future

Space agency leaders from the United States, Europe,
Canada, Japan and Russia met Wednesday in Monterey, Calif.,
to review the status of cooperation on the International
Space Station Program.

The meeting participants noted the significant milestone of
the 1,000th day of permanent human presence aboard the Space
Station during a live telephone conversation with the current
crew, Expedition 7 Commander, Russian cosmonaut Yuri
Malenchenko, and NASA Station Science Officer, Ed Lu.

The Heads of Agency (HOA) were briefed on the preliminary
plans for the return to flight of the U.S. Space Shuttle.
They agreed to review and update the Space Station Program
Action Plan, adopted in December 2002, in order to realize
the objectives of the program as soon as possible. The HOA
agreed the Space Station Program Action Plan should remain
the basis for proceeding with selection of a Station
configuration.

The HOA agreed to meet in Moscow in mid-October to discuss
specific Space Station implementation plans after taking into
account NASA’s Return to Flight Activities.

Appreciation was expressed for the strong support for the
Space Station Program by all partner agencies, and in
particular by the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, for
resolutely providing for continuing human presence on the
Station after the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia
and her courageous crew.

The International Space Station partnership looks forward to
continuing critical Russian support for general Station
operations, logistics, crew transportation and rescue
capability until the Space Shuttle returns to flight. The
partners expressed great enthusiasm for NASA’s Return to
Flight, the timely resumption of Space Station assembly, and
opportunities for enhanced use of this world-class research
facility.