|
Author
|
Topic: Key to the International Space Station
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 44896
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 10-21-2020 12:43 PM
   
In September 2017, Expedition 52 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos began a new tradition on board the International Space Station, establishing a symbolic but physical key to the orbiting complex. This week, Expedition 63 commander Chris Cassidy of NASA shared close up photos of the key, which he passed to Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov as the incoming commander of Expedition 64. We have this small tradition where there is a key to the International Space Station, which didn't exist when I was here seven years ago. I don't remember this, but now we have this and I think it is very cool. It is the tool that we use on the Russian hatches, to open and close the hatches, and it is a very appropriate key to the space station. It symbolizes the camaraderie that we have between all of the space agencies.  
|
capoetc
Member Posts: 2223
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
|
posted 10-21-2020 01:58 PM
Sounds like a good plan to keep the aliens out!Maybe they can now get a discount on their insurance with a more secure space station ... Larry? Harvey?  Seriously, it sounds like a nice tradition to hand over the key to the new tenants upon leaving. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4673
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 10-21-2020 02:08 PM
Presumably for the internal vice EVA airlock hatch. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 44896
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 10-21-2020 06:21 PM
Footage of Sergey Ryzhikov closing the hatch prior to the undocking of Soyuz MS-16 showed that while the key is based on the hatch tool, the latter is larger and is metal gray and black in color.  |
Headshot
Member Posts: 950
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
|
posted 10-27-2020 08:59 AM
I certainly hope that when the ISS is decommissioned years from now, that key and the station's bell are returned to Earth and put on display in the Smithsonian and the Russian equivalent institution. Perhaps they could be interchanged every few years to symbolized what cooperation can achieve. |
p51
Member Posts: 1683
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
|
posted 10-27-2020 11:43 AM
Everything old is new again.I'm a brakeman at a local tourist RR and we have newly-made locks for the track stich stands, each with a 'barrel' key that looks a LOT like this ISS key! Just Google, "Adlake switch key" to see what I mean, the 'top' end of the ISS key looks a lot like you could unlock a 1920s RR switch lock with it. It wouldn't be too tough to make copies of this ISS key if you had a the proper dimensions and a CNC/milling machine... |
advertisement