| After a successful docking, the crews of the | | | | They are all pumped up [energized] and ready |
| Space Shuttle Discovery and the International | | | | to go. And I think they are going to be on an |
| Space Station are working side-by-side some | | | | adrenaline rush until touchdown on [re]entry |
| 350 kilometers above the Earth. | | | | day." |
| | | | |
| With broad smiles, the crews exchanged | | | | The summersault executed by Discovery prior |
| greetings and then set about connecting | | | | to docking allowed space station crewmembers |
| cables and other equipment between Discovery | | | | to take pictures of the orbiter's underbelly, |
| and the space station, so that the two | | | | to check for possible damage to |
| vessels can operate as one. Much work lies | | | | heat-resistant tiles. The procedure is part |
| ahead, including the unloading of several | | | | of an exhaustive in-mission safety review |
| tons of supplies and equipment brought by the | | | | process implemented after the 2003 Space |
| shuttle, perhaps most importantly a new | | | | Shuttle Columbia disaster. Columbia broke up |
| oxygen generator. At least two space walks | | | | upon re-entry to Earth's atmosphere, and |
| are planned. One Discovery crewmember, | | | | heat-shielding tiles damaged during lift-off |
| Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter of Germany, | | | | were blamed for the tragedy. |
| will stay behind when the shuttle departs. | | | | |
| | | | Wednesday, Discovery's crew used the |
| Earlier, having "chased" the space station | | | | orbiter's robotic arm to take photographs of |
| for two days at speeds exceeding 28,000 | | | | the shuttle's wings and nose cap. NASA |
| kilometers per hour, Discovery performed a | | | | officials say nothing of major concern has |
| 360-degree "backflip" rotation before docking | | | | been detected. |
| with the space station. It was a carefully | | | | |
| choreographed maneuver that NASA officials | | | | Among the primary goals for Discovery's |
| described as "perfect" in execution. | | | | mission is to demonstrate that major safety |
| | | | concerns stemming from the Columbia disaster |
| At a press briefing, Shuttle Flight Director | | | | have been addressed, and that the shuttle |
| Tony Ceccacci was asked how he feels about | | | | program can go forward with a series of |
| the mission so far. | | | | missions in support of the completion of the |
| | | | International Space Station by a target date |
| "Extremely pleased," he said. "I am very | | | | of 2010. At that point, the shuttle fleet is |
| happy with how things are going. Today, | | | | to be retired. |
| talking to the crew, you can see them on TV. | | | | |