spacetoday.net: Shuttle docks with ISS

Posted: Mon, Sep 11, 2006, 1:47 PM ET (1747 GMT)

The space shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station early Monday as the STS-115 crew prepared to begin its station assembly tasks. Atlantis docked with the station's Destiny module at 6:48 am EDT (1048 GMT), a little less than two days after the shuttle's launch from Florida. On Sunday the STS-115 crew inspected the shuttle's exterior to look for any sign of damage from foam impacts during launch; mission managers said the shuttle appeared to be in good shape. However, according to one report a protruding gapfiller was seen on the underside of the shuttle as it performed a "flip" maneuver on approach to the station to permit the station crew to inspect the orbiter. Shortly after the docking hatches were opened between the shuttle and station, astronauts used the shuttle's and station's robotic arms to transfer a station truss segment from the shuttle's cargo bay in preparation for the first of three assembly spacewalks, scheduled for tomorrow.