Today is 22 years since the first residential crew was welcomed aboard the International Space Station.

On this day in the year 2000, a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts embarked on a  mission that paved the way for human's continuous exploration of space.

Expedition 1 Marked The Beginning Of A New Era

The Expedition 1 crew opened up the possibilities for international cooperation in space, between space agencies from the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe.

These agencies agreed to work together on the ISS to launch its first components into orbit late in 1998, HIstory writes.

This was only fitting since the three-man crew was composed of William "Bill" Shepherd who was expedition commander, and flight engineer Sergei Krikalev, and Soyuz commander Yuri Gidzenko.

The team launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and only took two days following the launch to begin their historic mission.

According to Space Center Houston, once the crew reached the outpost, they spent their time setting up equipment, unpacking supplies, and getting critical life support systems functioning.

However, this did not come easy to the crew at all, as it took them days to make sure that everything was working as they were supposed to.

The Expedition 1 crew also conducted the first experiment on the station, which focused on protein crystals, helping with the treatment of diseases on Earth.

During their time in space, the three were resupplied with necessities by two unnamed Russian rockets, and three shuttle missions.

According to History, the three spacemen also became the first humans to have to adjust to long-term life in Earth's low orbit, circling the planet 15.5 times each day.

Shepherd, Gidzenko, and Krikalev flew home on March 19 the next year, riding Discovery as they became the only crew to have celebrated the beginning of a new century and millennium in space.

Read More: Italian Woman Takes Command of International Space Station 

The Expedition 1 Crew Had The Opportunity To Do Their Missions Televised

Since the Expedition 1 crew's mission, hundreds of individuals have visited the ISS, conducted spacewalks, and hosted research and investigations.

This is because of the crew's valiant efforts to install and activate communications systems that integrated space shuttle crews to continue assembling the ISS.

Due to this, the crew was able to transmit live feeds that televised their missions at the Mission Control Center at NASA's John Space Center in Houston, where they were monitored.

A month into their mission, the trio had guests who were the crew of the space shuttle Endeavor, which visited the ISS on a mission to install a truss segment, ABP Live says.

The Integrated Truss Structure had components that allowed the attachment of solar arrays, thermal control radiators, and external payloads on the space station.

In March 2001, shortly after the Expedition 1 crew were brought home, their replacements called the Expedition 2 arrived at the ISS.

Shepherd, Gidzenko, and Krikalev were replaced by Yuri V. Usachev, James S. Voss, and Susan J. Helms.

After 141 days in space, the first expedition to ISS ended as the Expedition 1 crew touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on March 21, 2001.

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