Space Shuttle Discovery reached its orbital destination this morning. Discovery docked with the International Space Station at 7:18 a.m. EDT to begin an eight-day stay at the Station. During the approach to the ISS, the Shuttle crew performed a maneuver to allow the Station crewmembers to take more imagery of the Station’s heat shield.
The seven-member Shuttle crew will enter the ISS later this morning and begin work with the Expedition 11 crew.
Mission imagery continues to provide NASA with valuable data for the safety of this flight and future flights. A team of about 200 people across the country are working to analyze Discovery’s first photos. Foam loss from the external tank indicates a need for more improvements to the tank’s insulation. Shuttle program managers want to understand this problem and deal with it before flying another mission.
NASA’s Mission Management Team Chair Wayne Hale said Wednesday that according to current data, Discovery is in good shape for a safe return home. More detailed analysis will follow over the next few days to be sure.
