Expedition 3

Expedition 3 was the third long-duration crew increment aboard the International Space Station. Frank Culbertson, Vladimir Dezhurov, and Mikhail Tyurin launched to the station aboard STS-105 Discovery in August 2001, taking over from Expedition 2 after the shuttle crew completed handover and logistics work. The crew operated during an early station-buildout phase, supporting research in protein crystallization, space exercise, radiation detection, materials exposure, pulmonary function, crew interactions, and Earth observation. Expedition 3 also saw the arrival and first use of the Russian Pirs docking compartment, which expanded the station's docking and EVA capability. Dezhurov and Tyurin performed two EVAs from Pirs to connect and outfit the new module, Culbertson joined Dezhurov on another EVA to connect cables between Zvezda and Pirs, and Dezhurov and Tyurin completed a final EVA to clear an obstruction that prevented a Progress cargo vehicle from hard docking. The crew handed the station to Expedition 4 in December 2001 and returned to Earth on STS-108 Endeavour.