Shuttle crew welcomed onto ISS

The gathering of expanse shuttle Endeavour has begun preparing to cut with the International Space Station (ISS).

Before docking, regular for 1755 GMT, the shuttle module action a backflip, allowing the ISS aggroup to picture and inspect Endeavour's modify shield.

When the digit crews join together, there module be a achievement 13 astronauts on the orbiting outpost.

During their 11-day visit, the shuttle aggroup module closing work on a Japanese investigate work called Kibo.

Endeavour was eventually launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Wednesday after five unsuccessful attempts.

The previous efforts to begin the 16-day assignment were hampered by intense weather and fuel leaks.

The seven-strong gathering on Thursday, their prototypal flooded period in space, carried discover a routine five-hour inspection of the craft's energy endorsement grouping using the shuttle's robotic arm.

Mission experts backwards on Earth examined the accumulation and gave the shuttle an initial all clear.

Officials for the US expanse authority said they were not overly afraid most whatever detritus that was seen touch the shuttle during launch.

"It didn't hurt us ostensibly on this flight because because it came soured so late," shuttle trainer John Shannon is quoted as locution by the foetoprotein programme agency.

A position report issued by Nasa on weekday said: "The primeval review indicates exclusive a whatever minor dings in whatever [thermal protection] tiles... cod to whatever unheralded losses of diminutive foam pieces from the outside tank."

Shortly before the shuttle docks with the expanse station, the equipment module action a nine-minute backflip, known as a "Rendezvous Pitch Manoeuvre", allowing the ISS gathering to verify up to 300 photographs of the shuttle's energy endorsement system.

These images module be examined by engineers backwards at assignment curb to secure there is no damage that could jeopardise the shuttle's re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere.

Once the backflip is completed, Commander Mark Polansky module gently guide Endeavour towards the ISS.

Although the shuttle module advise towards the expanse send at most 3cm per ordinal during the arrival procedure, both satellite module be travelling at 28,160km/h (17,500mph), 350km (220 miles) above the Earth.

Finishing touches

During the mission, five spacewalks - apiece expected to terminal 6.5 hours - are regular to be completed.

The first, regular for Saturday, module add a papers to the Japanese work complex, Kibo, which crapper be used for experiments that order materials to be unclothed to the harsh surround of space.

The gathering module also establish new batteries to one of the solar arrays, which wage noesis to the expanse station, and action other maintenance tasks.

In addition, Endeavour module deliver a new long-stay US gathering member, Tim Kopra, to the ISS and alter backwards Japan's Koichi Wakata, who has lived aboard the papers for more than threesome months.

The $100bn expanse station, now most the filler of a four-bedroom house, has been low cerebration for more than a decade.

This is the 127th expanse shuttle flight, the 29th to the station, the 23rd for Endeavour and the third in 2009.

Seven boost flights to the papers remain before the shuttles retire in 2010.
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