Dec. 30, 2002

The International Space Station will triple its power output and expand in both size and research capacity during 2003, according to NASA statement released on December 20.

"The Station literally becomes a new spacecraft with each assembly mission," NASA Station Program Manager Bill Gerstenmaier said. "And that will be true next year with dramatic changes in the operations of its cooling and power systems as well as in its appearance."

Space shuttle flights will deliver three new research facilities to the Station in 2003, NASA says, bringing the total number of research modules on board to 10. Crewmembers will conduct experiments in biology, physics, chemistry, ecology, medicine, and manufacturing, according to NASA, as well as studying the long-term effects of space flight on humans.

The year 2003 is planned as the final full construction year for the core structure, and NASA says that five Shuttle flights are scheduled to bring more than 36,000 kilograms of components and supplies to the Station.

"The Shuttle missions will launch four new sections of the Station's backbone, or truss, to extend its length from the present 41 meters to 94 meters by the end of 2003," NASA says.