The shuttle docked with the International Space Station to continue work
The
space shuttle Atlantis, sent into space for a scheduled 11-day
mission, successfully docked with the International Space Station
yesterday. Shuttle commander Brent Jett carefully maneuvered the
shuttle so that it did a backflip designed to check the underside of
the shuttle. Digital photographs of the underside were taken for NASA
to make sure the heat shield is still secure. Shuttle engineers
believe the thermal protection system is in such good shape that the
opportunity for further tests was declined.
The
orbital complex floating 218 miles above the Earth has not had
serious construction done since the 2003 Columbia disaster. Steve
MacLean became the second Canadian to walk in space today.
Astronauts
yesterday conducted a spacewalk to wire two solar panels into the
ISS. A second spacewalk today will be conducted to finish activating
and double-checking the panels. The two spacewalks –yesterday and
today – brought the total number of man hours spent assembling and
maintaining the ISS to 431 hours and 54 minutes. For the second
straight day, spacewalkers lost a bolt that NASA researchersbelieve
harmlessly most likely floated away.
Because
of the expected arrival of the Russian Soyuz space capsule on
September 20, the Atlantis crew will have to continue to work quickly.
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