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Discovery docks at space station
Source: Agencies |
February 28, 2011, Monday
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SPACE shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday, making its final visit before being parked at a museum.
"What took you guys so long?" asked space -station commander, Scott Kelly.
Discovery should have come and gone last November, but it was grounded by fuel tank cracks. It blasted off last Thursday with just two seconds to spare after being held up by a malfunctioning ground computer.
"Yeah, I don't know, we kind of waited until like the last two seconds," said the shuttle's commander Steven Lindsey.
The linkup occurred 355 kilometers above Australia.
Discovery will spend at least a week at the orbiting outpost. It is carrying a closet-style compartment full of supplies and the first humanoid robot to fly in space.
The compartment will be attached permanently to the space station later this week.
Altogether, there are 12 people aboard the joined spacecraft, representing the United States, Russia and Italy. And in a historic first, four of the five major partners have vessels docked there right now, including cargo ships from Japan and Europe. The entire conglomeration has a mass of 0.54 million -kilograms, including the shuttle.
Discovery is the first shuttle in NASA's fleet to be retired this year. Endeavour and then Atlantis will close out the 30-year shuttle program by midsummer.
"What took you guys so long?" asked space -station commander, Scott Kelly.
Discovery should have come and gone last November, but it was grounded by fuel tank cracks. It blasted off last Thursday with just two seconds to spare after being held up by a malfunctioning ground computer.
"Yeah, I don't know, we kind of waited until like the last two seconds," said the shuttle's commander Steven Lindsey.
The linkup occurred 355 kilometers above Australia.
Discovery will spend at least a week at the orbiting outpost. It is carrying a closet-style compartment full of supplies and the first humanoid robot to fly in space.
The compartment will be attached permanently to the space station later this week.
Altogether, there are 12 people aboard the joined spacecraft, representing the United States, Russia and Italy. And in a historic first, four of the five major partners have vessels docked there right now, including cargo ships from Japan and Europe. The entire conglomeration has a mass of 0.54 million -kilograms, including the shuttle.
Discovery is the first shuttle in NASA's fleet to be retired this year. Endeavour and then Atlantis will close out the 30-year shuttle program by midsummer.
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