Shuttle docks with space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Space shuttle Atlantis pulled up and docked at the international space station on Wednesday, delivering nearly $1 billion worth of new construction parts, including a 44-foot girder. The two crews will begin installing the girder and its attached railcar on Thursday, the most challenging day of the shuttle mission.
Space station Alpha’s three residents were thrilled to have guests after four long months in orbit.
“You all do make a pretty sight there,” station astronaut Carl Walz radioed as Atlantis drew within 300 feet.
When the shuttle finally latched onto the station more than 240 miles above China, Navy Capt. Daniel Bursch rang the station’s bell in the tradition of the high seas and called out, “Atlantis, arriving!”
The hatches between the spacecraft swung open a few hours later, and the seven shuttle astronauts floated into the station one by one. The station’s Russian commander, Yuri Onufrienko, stood by the door, shaking hands and giving out bear hugs.
Shuttle commander Michael Bloomfield steered Atlantis to a flawless docking. “It’s good to see you guys,” he said.
After quick greetings, the astronauts practiced using the space station’s robot arm, putting it through the paces slated for Thursday’s girder work.
They also organized their spacewalking equipment; the first excursion is Thursday.
The shuttle astronauts brought fresh food and clean clothes for the station residents, including barbecued beef for a welcoming feast. Walz, Bursch and Onufrienko will remain on board until their replacements arrive in June.
Atlantis will stay for a full week. During that time, two teams of shuttle astronauts will take turns going out to hook up the girder to the space station. Four spacewalks are planned.
The $600 million aluminum girder is considered the second-most complicated space station part, the first being its laboratory, which was installed a year ago.
Electrical cables and plumbing run through the girder, which will serve as the backbone for a framework that eventually will stretch 356 feet and support solar wings and radiators. This piece alone has 475,000 parts, including four computers.
A train track also extends the length of the girder. The $190 million railcar will be used to haul parts from one end of the expanding outpost to the other. It has a top speed of one inch per second.
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