Endeavour docks with International Space Station
By admin on November 17, 2008 at 5:27 amOn Sunday, US Space shuttle Endeavour, carrying seven member crew, has successfully docked with the International Space Station. Endeavour docked with the ISS at 2201 GMT, a few minutes earlier than scheduled, as the spacecraft passed over India. After the hatches between the station and space shuttle opened, the two crews exchanged greetings and went to work preparing for joint operations.
Endeavour Docks with Space Station
Post-docking activities included a crew member exchange. STS-126 Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus replaced Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff, who will return to Earth with STS-126. The crew transfer became official when Magnus’ custom-made seatliner was installed into the Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
The space shuttle and station crews will prepare Monday for the first STS-126 spacewalk by Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Stephen Bowen. The spacewalk is set to take place Tuesday. All total 4 spacewalks are planned during the 15-day mission of Endeavour.
Nasa plans to double the station’s crew size as early as May. So, two new sleeping compartments and a second toilet will be installed in the ISS during the mission. The astronauts will also install a water regeneration system that distils, filters, ionises and oxidises wastewater, including urine, into fresh water for drinking.
[...] fourth and final spacewalk of Space Shuttle Endeavour’s ongoing mission STS-126 ended on Monday. But, the mission has been extended by one day, as Nasa wanted to give it’s [...]