ISS Heads of Agency Meeting (Forwarded)

European Space Agency
Press Release No. 41-2004
Paris, France 23 July 2004

International Space Station Heads of Agency Meeting

The space agency leaders from the United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and
Canada met at the ESA Technical Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, on
23 July 2004, to discuss International Space Station (ISS) cooperation
activities. At this meeting, the ISS Partnership unanimously endorsed the ISS
technical configuration and reviewed the status of ISS on-orbit operations and
plans. The new ISS configuration is planned for completion by the end of the
decade and will accommodate on-orbit elements from each of the ISS Partners.
The configuration will enable increased utilization and will provide early
opportunities for an enhanced crew of greater than three people.

The ISS Partnership's endorsement of this configuration provides a clear basis
for completion of programmatic and financial evaluation and subsequent agreement
on a transportation and logistics framework that will support assembly and
operation of ISS. This framework will be supported by Russian Soyuz vehicles,
the U.S. Space Shuttle, the automated logistics re-supply and re-boost
capabilities provided by Russian Progress vehicles, and the transfer vehicles
ATV and HTV to be provided by Europe and Japan.

The partnership also agreed that additional assessments would be conducted to
confirm the ISS flight programme in a nominal mode and to evaluate further
opportunities to accelerate the launch of the Japanese and European research
modules JEM (Kibo) and Columbus, as well as establishing a specific schedule to
enhance the permanent crew.

NASA and FSA once again reconfirmed their commitment to support individually and
cooperatively, in 2005, uninterrupted human presence on the ISS of the
integrated crew, provide for its rotation, and rescue on a parity basis. For
that they agree to complete agreements on mutual responsibilities for ISS as
soon as possible. The results of these assessments will be reviewed at the next
ISS Heads of Agency meeting in early 2005 leading to the partnership's final
endorsement of the ISS configuration.

During their discussions, the space agency leadership reaffirmed their enduring
commitment to the unprecedented international cooperation that has characterized
the ISS Program. In particular, they expressed their appreciation of Russia's
significant efforts, through the provision of crew transportation and re-supply
capabilities, to safely maintain a human presence on-orbit during the current
hiatus in Space Shuttle flights. They also expressed appreciation for NASA's
continuing efforts to safely return the Space Shuttle to flight in the March
2005 timeframe as a significant step for continuing ISS assembly and operations.

The leaders of the ISS partnership also noted the continued success of on-orbit
ISS utilization and operations activities, including the spacewalk on June 30,
2004, by Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA ISS Science Officer
Mike Fincke, and the April 2004 research mission to ISS by ESA astronaut André
Kuipers as well as continuing successful critical on-orbit operations of
Canada's Canadarm 2.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Division
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX..._index_1.html]
[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX...html#subhead1]
The space agency leaders from the United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and
Canada met at ESTEC on 23 July 2004 to discuss International Space Station (ISS)
cooperation activities.

Credits: JAXA