The first crewed expedition arrived at the International Space Station in 2000. Expedition 1 docked with the station on November 2, 2000, beginning the ISS’s uninterrupted human presence in orbit.
The three-person crew consisted of NASA astronaut William Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev. They launched aboard Soyuz TM-31 on October 31, 2000, from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, then docked with the station two days later.
Expedition 1 was more than a symbolic visit. The crew activated station systems, unpacked equipment, prepared work areas, and helped turn an unfinished orbital construction project into a functioning research outpost. They also hosted visiting Space Shuttle crews that delivered solar arrays, laboratory hardware, and supplies.
The crew stayed for about four and a half months. Expedition 1 ended in March 2001, when its members returned aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. The station had been assembled gradually since Zarya launched in 1998, but 2000 marked the start of continuous occupation.