posted 01-18-2020 10:38 PM               

One thing (or things) that I have always really loved in International Space Station (ISS) photos were a series of signs that were affixed to the aft hatch in the Unity Module (Node 1). The hatch which separates the module from PMA-1 had for many years a series of yellow signs attached to them. The three signs respectively said "Space Station Construction," "Speed Limit 17500" and "28000 km/h."

For whatever reason, these signs were one of the details that I loved in station photographs. I found them humorous and it made the station feel like a place where normal people with personalities lived. It made it feel more "down to earth," no pun intended.

I was sad to see a few years ago the signs disappeared. They had clearly become worn out and the station really isn't under construction anymore. But, seeing them gone made me sad, but it also made me wonder. When were they put up and by who? And, when were they taken down and by who?

I have looked through a bunch of station photos to try and narrow down a timeline.

It is clear that they were not launched already in Unity as they do not appear in this photo from STS-88:

This photo taken during STS-96 on June 2, 1999 also shows no signs on the hatch.

This photo taken on Feb. 16, 2001, (ISS Expedition 1) shows two of the three signs indicating they were not all put up at once, and showing that these two signs were put up before that date. This was the earliest photo I found of the signs and the only one I found without all three.

This photo from ISS Expedition 2 (April 7, 2001) shows all three signs, so clearly the km/h sign was attached somewhere in the interim. So, it was hung by a member either the ISS-1 crew, ISS-2 crew, STS-98 crew, or STS-102 crew.

Now, moving later, this photo was taken on April 4, 2015 during Expedition 43 showing that the signs are still there. This was the latest photo I found with the signs.

But, in this photo from Expedition 45 (Sept. 24, 2015) they have been removed. Clearly sometime in that five month span during Scott Kelly's yearlong mission, they were removed. This was the earliest photo I could find without the signs.

posted 01-19-2020 08:22 AM               

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Originally posted by RichieB16:
I'm curious if anyone here knows the story of these signs.

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quote:

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Originally posted by RichieB16:
Clearly sometime in that five month span during Scott Kelly's yearlong mission, they were removed.

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...and May 15, 2015, when they no longer appear (iss043e198419).

posted 01-19-2020 04:36 PM               

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Originally posted by issman1:
I presume they're still up there, if anyone can confirm, or anymore poignant tributes to other deceased space men and women?

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I presume they are still there, but the most recent photo I could find was from July 2015 (ISS044E007995).

posted 01-20-2020 07:06 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I reached out to Terry Virts to see what he remembered of the signs.

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posted 01-22-2020 05:28 PM               

Jerry Ross is floating in the bottom left of the photo near the nadir hatch of Node 1 and just to his left the sign above the hatch says "To HAB" with a downward arrow.

I assume this is in reference to the planned Habitation Module which was later cancelled. So, that leads me to two questions.

First, was the nadir port of Unity the planned location for the Habitation Module?

posted 01-26-2020 09:39 AM               

At the time of the video (and still as of today), Northrop Grumman's NG-12 Cygnus (S.S. Alan Bean) was berthed to Unity's nadir port.

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I presume they are still there...

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posted 01-27-2021 02:54 PM               

Day of Remembrance – Fallen astronauts photos are displayed on the hatch of ISS.