Space Shuttle Crew Prepares for Monday Arrival at Space Station

Endeavour’s crew spent its first full day in space preparing for its arrival at the International Space Station. Endeavour, now 1,400 miles behind the station and closing, is scheduled to dock at 3:26 p.m. Central time Monday.

In preparation for Monday’s docking, Endeavour’s crew – Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Mission Specialists Mike Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington, and the Expedition Six crew Commander Ken Bowersox, NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit and flight engineer Nikolai Budarin – verified operation of the equipment used to support a smooth rendezvous and soft docking. A camera was installed to give Wetherbee a view of the station’s docking port through the shuttle’s docking system, a shock-absorbing ring that will make the first contact was extended and a variety of handheld cameras and distance-measuring devices were checked out. In addition, Lopez-Alegria and Herrington inspected and checked out the spacesuits being delivered to the station for use on three spacewalks to install and outfit the P1 truss segment.

Checkout of the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System went smoothly today, but the robotic arm camera survey of Endeavour’s payload bay ran a little longer than expected. The robotic arm’s wrist roll joint was commanded in extra maneuvers to help work in lubrication that was applied during the arm’s preflight servicing. The robotic arm is ready to support operations to remove Endeavour’s primary cargo, the P1 or port truss, from the payload bay on Tuesday.

Also today, Bowersox, Budarin and Pettit spoke with reporters from USA Today and AP Radio News. The trio will become the sixth resident crew to live and work in space aboard the International Space Station, replacing the current Expedition Five residents.

Onboard the station, the Expedition Five crew, Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev, continued preparations for the arrival of Endeavour, and their replacement crew.

Endeavour’s crew is scheduled to go to sleep about 11:20 p.m. Central time and awaken about 7:20 a.m. Monday.