31.   Thomas is the seventh and final U.S. astronaut assigned to live and work on the orbital outpost.

32.   Until NASA completes its own delayed development of an American lifeboat for the station, the orbital outpost will require a Soyuz launch every six months.

33.   When finished, the orbital outpost will sprawl to the size of a pair of football fields placed side-by-side and house seven-member crews.

34.   Without the arm, expansion of the orbital outpost would grind to a halt.

35.   He will replace Shannon Lucid and become the third American to live on the orbital outpost.