The crew consisted of one Russian, Commander Yury Usachev, and two American flight engineers Susan Helms and James Voss.

During this expedition, research facilities launched to the Space Station included a Human Research Facility, two EXPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station) Racks, one of which contains the Active Rack Isolation System and the Payload Equipment Restraint System.

[1] A major focus was on gaining a better understanding of how to protect crew members from radiation while working and living in space.

Radiation exposure in high doses over long periods of time can damage human cells and cause cancer or injury to the central nervous system.

[NASA 5] The three-member Expedition 2 crew successfully launched on 8 March 2001 on Space Shuttle Discovery during mission STS-102.

The primary objective of this mission was to deliver and install the Canadarm2 on the ISS, which is a robotic arm similar to the Canadarm which is used on some Space Shuttle flights.

During much of the 5 hour, 59 minute spacewalk, Jim Reilly worked from a foot platform attached to the end of the shuttle's robotic arm, operated by Janet Kavandi.

The internal hatches between the shuttle and station were closed at the end of Flight Day 6 so Atlantis' cabin pressure could be lowered in preparation for the second spacewalk.

Susan Helms operated the station arm to lift the tanks from the shuttle's payload bay and maneuver them to the new airlock.

[9] In August, Space Shuttle Discovery returned to the station during the mission STS-105, which carried the three Expedition 2 crew members back down to Earth.

The number 2 is for the second expedition and is enclosed in the Cyrillic MKS and Latin ISS which are the respective Russian and English abbreviations for the International Space Station.

[NASA 13] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.