Visit the ISS with Jeffrey Williams

Using two cameras, the Station Commander is ready to take you on an original trip onboard the orbital complex.

 

To make this video film, American Jeffrey Williams filmed his journey through the Station, simultaneously using two high-definition cameras! One was directed in front of him, thus showing what the astronaut could see as he went along. The second, however, was directed at him. We have added a diagram of the Station to NASA’s film; it has an arrow synchronised with the pictures showing you whereabouts Jeffrey Williams is in the Station (see illustration below).


The Commander begins his tour in the Japanese Kibo laboratory; he then pays a quick visit to his small storage module. Then, he goes to the Harmony connection node (made in Europe), crosses through the American Destiny laboratory and reaches the Russian Zarya and Zvezda modules, having gone via the Unity connection node and the PMA 1 adapter (see diagram below).

With these few picture freezes, we are going to explain some interesting details. Here, for instance, we can see a circular “door” at the end of the Kibo module. This is an airlock which is used for recovering experiments placed outside and exposed to the space vacuum.

Maxim Suraev gives a wave to spectators as the Commander goes through the Unity module.

Maxim Suraev adresse un bonjour de la main aux spectateurs alors que le commandant traverse le module Unity.

The PMA 1, which connects Unity to the Russian Zarya module, is also used for storing numerous storage bags.

Jeffrey Williams and his Russian colleague Maxim Suraev are currently coming to the end of their mission in orbit as they are to return to Earth aboard a Soyuz spaceship on 18 March 2010. However, Japanese Soichi Noguchi, Russian Oleg Kotov and American T.J. Creamer are to remain on board. On 2 April, Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko, together with American Tracy Caldwell Dyson will be blasting off from Baikonur in a Soyuz rocket on their way to the Station; they will then complete Expedition 23.

Published on 8 March 2010