spacetoday.net: Shuttle docks with ISS

Shuttle docks with ISS

Posted: Mon, Jun 11, 2007, 8:32 AM ET (1232 GMT)
STS-117: docking with ISS (NASA)

The space shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on Sunday afternoon as astronauts prepared to attach a new truss segment to the orbiting outpost. Atlantis docked with the ISS on schedule at 3:36 pm EDT (1936 GMT), and hatches separating the shuttle and station opened about 90 minutes later. The first order of business after docking was to transfer a new truss segment for the station from the shuttle's cargo bay to the station's robotic arm. That segment will be attached to the station during an EVA on Monday by two members of the shuttle's crew. Shuttle managers, meanwhile, are studying whether to have astronauts repair a torn thermal blanket on the aft section of the shuttle later in the mission.