Discovery's astronauts are preparing to begin final approach to the International Space Station after shuttle skipper Pam Melroy guided the spaceship through a graceful backflip 600 feet below the outpost.
Melroy now is flying the ship to a point about 400 feet out in front of the station before starting final approach to the outpost. It'll be slow-going at that stage. Melroy will be piloting the orbiter at a glacial speed of about one-tenth-a-foot per second when docking rings on either spacecraft make contact and hooks and latches cycle to connect the craft in a mechanical embrace.
Docking still is scheduled for about 8:33 a.m. EDT. Hatches between the ships will swing open about 10:30 a.m. for a welcome ceremony that will mark the first time two female commanders have met in space.
You can watch it all unfold here in The Flame Trench. Click the link below the image above to launch our NASA TV viewer.
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge and save the NASA TV screen grab of the International Space Station as seen through the centerline camera of shuttle Discovery's Orbiter Docking System.
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