What Day 1 On The International Space Station Was Like For The Astronauts

There wasn't a lot of elbow room when six people from the Endeavour shuttle floated into the baby International Space Station on Dec. 10, 1998, but the cramped quarters resonated with possibility in STS-88 commander Bob Cabana's mind.

"It’s hard to believe 15 years ago we put those first modules together, and we have this facility today that's the size of a football field," said Cabana in an interview today (Nov. 20) with Universe Today.

Cabana, who is now the director of the Kennedy Space Center, oversaw a complex mission that included joining the Russian Zarya and U.S. Unity modules, three spacewalks to get the modules powered and ready for humans to enter, and the pressure of public relations activities surrounding the opening of the station itself.

"That was a very special day, when we went into Unity and Zarya for the first time. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation," Cabana said. He and Russian Sergei Krikalev -- who would go on to become the person who spent the most time in space, at 803 days -- entered the tiny hatches side by side to emphasize the international participation.