The International Space Station is set for an extreme makeover as the latest shuttle mission hauls supplies and components into space. Extreme improvements to the ISS was the focus of Endeavour's mission that lifted off on November 14, 2008 from the Kennedy Space Center. The seven astronauts that are taking off with the Endeavour are to expand the living quarters so that it can house six astronauts. The mission will take 15 fifteen days before the ISS is transformed into a home with three bedrooms, one bathroom, and two kitchenettes. The entire crew are American citizens and one member would replace the current space station's flight engineer Greg Chamitoff. The astronauts are hauling over 14,000 kilograms of supplies and equipment including an exercise machine. One of the main components to be added is a water recycling machine which would recycle the astronaut's urine into drinking water. The crew will also conduct space walks repairing worn out parts and installing cameras on the outside of the space station. The Endeavour will be docking with the Space Station on its 10 anniversary on Nov. 20.
The space station is one of mankind's greatest modern treasures. It is amazing what we can achieve when we work together. I was surprised when I read that the Space Station can only house three astronauts that stay there for a whole six months. Expanding it to house six astronauts does not seem like it is a big difference but that is doubling the crew. It has got me wondering what the astronauts are really doing up there for so long. What are their objectives? I think that space flight and research does not get the amount of funding it needs to achieve impressive results in a short period of time. It seems like progress is slow when it comes to space flight because it has been 10 years since the space station was first launched and now it can house only six astronauts. We need to invest in space exploration because not only because space is the "final frontier" but it could offer access to certain resources that we cannot get on Earth. This is a great achievement because there is now a home for people in space. What should happen next is to start developing a ship that can conviently take people into space that is more economical and safer than the space shuttle.
