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STS-126 has arrived at the International Space Station.
Shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson was at the controls of space shuttle Endeavour
docking to the station's Harmony Node at 5:01 p.m. EST.
The hatches between the International Space Station and
space shuttle Endeavour were opened and Expedition 18 welcomed the STS-126 crew
members inside the Harmony Node at 7:16 p.m. EST on Sunday.
Sandra Magnus swapped Soyuz seatliners with station astronaut Greg Chamitoff at
9:50 p.m. replacing him as Expedition 18 Flight Engineer. Chamitoff is now an
STS-126 mission specialist and will return home on Endeavour in two weeks.
"Welcome Endeavour," said ISS commander Michael Fincke. "We
understand that this house is in need of an extreme makeover and you're the
crew to do it."
Endeavour commander Chris Ferguson said his crew was looking forward to
celebrating the ISS's 10th anniversary on November 20.
In a greeting ceremony between the two crews, he said he
hopes Endeavour's delivery will "make this place look a little nicer."
The primary goal of the STS-126/ULF2 mission is to provide
additional capability for the International Space Station to house astronauts
and to increase the station crew size from three to the desired six-crew
members by spring 2009. Leonardo, a large cargo container inside Endeavour’s
payload bay, will bring supplies and equipment to the International Space
Station to help prepare the outpost for a six member crew.
The supplies include
replacement Trundle Bearing Assemblies (TBAs) for the station’s ailing
Starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ). In all, more than 1,000 items will
be delivered in the Multi‐Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM).
Leonardo is one of three differently named large, reusable pressurized MPLMs
used to ferry cargo back and forth to the station. Including STS-126, the MPLMs
have flown eight times since 2001. Leonardo was the first MPLM to deliver
supplies to the station and STS-126 is its fifth flight.
The 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.
Image Credit: NASA
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