Discovery docks with Station today
The STS-120 crew spent their first full day in orbit inspecting the Shuttle’s heat shield to discover if any damage occurred during the climb into orbit. Initial reports indicate no visible damage, although engineers and flight controllers on the ground will continue to analyse the data over the next few days.
The hatches between the two spacecraft are due to open at 16:33 CEST (14:33 UT). The new arrivals will be welcomed on board by the resident ISS Expedition 16 crew of Commander Peggy Whitson, and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Clayton Anderson.
Amongst the seven STS-120 crew members is ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who becomes the third Italian to visit the ISS after Umberto Guidoni (2001) and Roberto Vittori (2002 and 2005).
Joint operations between the two crews will begin shortly afterwards at the start of a challenging mission which includes five spacewalks within eight days.
Scheduled to kick off at 12:28 CEST (10:28 UT) Friday, the first spacewalk will see the temporary installation of the Italian-built Node 2 module, also known as Harmony.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Esperia/SEMM2HVH48F_0.htmlAll latest news from the category: Physics and Astronomy
This area deals with the fundamental laws and building blocks of nature and how they interact, the properties and the behavior of matter, and research into space and time and their structures.
innovations-report provides in-depth reports and articles on subjects such as astrophysics, laser technologies, nuclear, quantum, particle and solid-state physics, nanotechnologies, planetary research and findings (Mars, Venus) and developments related to the Hubble Telescope.
Newest articles
Superradiant atoms could push the boundaries of how precisely time can be measured
Superradiant atoms can help us measure time more precisely than ever. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen present a new method for measuring the time interval,…
Ion thermoelectric conversion devices for near room temperature
The electrode sheet of the thermoelectric device consists of ionic hydrogel, which is sandwiched between the electrodes to form, and the Prussian blue on the electrode undergoes a redox reaction…
Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device
New publication reports record electron temperatures for a small-scale, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fusion technologies have demonstrated…
