The leaders of the five space agencies that are
International Partners in the International Space Station met
Friday in Tokyo and concluded work on the 2002 Program Action
Plan.
“This is a significant step forward in our objective to
develop a unique science and research laboratory for
breakthrough opportunities never before achieved. As we
transition from the engineering and construction phase of the
International Space Station to that of a prominent science
platform, the process the Partnership agreed to today will
help move us to that objective over the next 12 to 18
months,” said NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe. “This is
truly a testimonial to the achievements that can be
accomplished through international cooperation,” he added.
The Program Action Plan was adopted by the Partnership at the
Heads of Agency meeting held in Paris in June 2002. The
Program Action Plan provided the framework for the
Partnership’s efforts, over the past six months, to develop
an option path to meet Station use and resource requirements
and to develop a proposed process for selecting a
configuration option beyond the accommodation of remaining
International Partner elements.
In a lengthy and complex series of discussions and
evaluations, the Partnership successfully implemented every
item of the Program Action Plan on schedule. As a result, the
Station Heads of Agency unanimously agreed to endorse an
option path that enables maximum Space Station usage during
the 2006-2007 timeframe. The plan calls for greater use of
Station research elements, and the Partners also agreed on a
process for selecting a Space Station configuration beyond
the accommodation of the remaining International Partner
elements. This process includes further technical and
programmatic assessment, cost estimation, and internal
budgetary reviews by each partner.
In accordance with the newly agreed “ISS Program Action Plan
for Selection of An ISS Configuration,” the Heads of Agency
will reconvene in summer 2003 in Moscow to select a revised
Station configuration option. They will meet next winter in
Washington to agree on a Station configuration.
NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe chaired Friday’s meeting with
Dr. Marc Garneau, President of the Canadian Space Agency;
Antonio Rodota, Director General of the European Space
Agency; Yuri Nikolayevich Koptev, General Director of the
Russian Aviation and Space Agency; and Shuichiro Yamanouchi,
President of the National Space Development Agency of Japan.
Yamanouchi served as the host of this Heads of Agency
Meeting.
ISS Heads of Agency Joint Statement
Space agency leaders from the United States, Europe, Canada,
Japan and Russia met in Tokyo, Japan, December 6, 2002, to
review and further promote International Space Station (ISS)
cooperation. The meeting participants reviewed in detail the
significant progress that has been made in the development
and deployment of the ISS elements and in the implementation
of the ISS Program Action Plan adopted at the last Heads of
Agency meeting in June 2002. This Plan provided the framework
for the Partnership’s efforts over the last six months to
select an option path to meet the utilization and resource
requirements of the ISS.
At this meeting, the participants unanimously endorsed an
option path that enables maximized ISS utilization in the
2006/2007 timeframe through greater use of ISS research
elements. The implementation of an expanded scientific
program on ISS would be supported by phased growth of ISS
capabilities, significantly increased quantity of permanent
crew, with crew rescue initially provided by additional Soyuz
crew rescue vehicles and eventually by both Soyuz and Orbital
Space Plane. Additional Space Shuttle, and other vehicle
support would also enhance this unique on-orbit research
facility. The participants also agreed upon a process for
selecting an ISS configuration beyond the accommodation of
the remaining International Partner elements. This process
includes further technical and programmatic assessment, cost
estimation, and internal budgetary reviews by each partner.
It will lead to approval of a configuration option
recommendation in March 2003, the selection of a revised ISS
configuration option by June/July 2003, and agreement on a
configuration by December 2003.
The Partners noted with great enthusiasm the continuing
success of ISS assembly activities and confirmed that
development of the remaining ISS elements is proceeding as
planned. They look forward to successful accommodation of key
ISS partner elements by February 2004 that allows the
accommodation of remaining partner ISS utilization and
infrastructure elements. This will enable improved scientific
and technological capabilities in the 2006/2007 timeframe.
They also highlighted the third year of permanent human
presence and research on board the ISS and the recent
successful launch of the ISS Expedition Six crew. This crew
will concentrate on assembly tasks and the conduct of
essential scientific research on behalf of all of the ISS
Partners to improve life on Earth while exploring the
frontier of space. The Partners look forward to increasing
tangible benefits of this unprecedented international
cooperation as the Partnership proceeds with assembly, and
increased utilization of, this world-class research facility.