Today saw the take-off of Space Shuttle Discovery from Cape Canaveral, in Florida. The 13-day mission will be a busy one for the crew. As the shuttle approaches the International Space Station, it will be examined closely by the station crew of Sergei K. Krikalev, the Russian commander, and John L. Phillips, the American flight engineer, in a new and somewhat risky manouvre.
Discovery is carrying tons of supplies that will have to be transferred from the shuttle to the station; two and a half years worth of broken equipment and trash will be carried back in the shuttle's payload bay.
About 600 feet from the station, Colonel Collins will stop the shuttle and execute a tricky spin that rotates the 100-ton orbiter nose up 360 degrees. While the bottom of the orbiter is facing the station, the station crew will take detailed pictures. Afterwards, the shuttle will dock with the station, on the third day of the mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment