Discovery's astronauts are moored at the International Space Station after a high-flying link-up that followed some awesome orbital gymnastics.
With the shuttle and the station flying in formation 220 miles above Earth, Discovery mission commander Pam Melroy gently eased her spaceship up to the outpost at a glacial speed of one-tenth-of-a-foot per second.
The spacecraft were circling Earth at 17,500 mph -- or 25 times the speed of sound -- at the time.
"Houston, Discovery and Alpha. Capture confirmed," pilot George Zamka reported.
Station skipper Peggy Whitson -- the first female to command the outpost -- kept up a longheld tradition, ringing a belly in the U.S. Destiny lab.
"Discovery arriving," she said.
Melroy's crew could be heard whooping it up on the flight deck of Discovery.
Leak checks will get under way momentarily, and hatches between the two craft are scheduled to swing open at 10:30 a.m. EDT. That'll mark the first time two female mission commanders have met in space.
You can watch the welcome ceremony live in The Flame Trench. Simply click the link below the image above to launch our NASA TV viewer.
NOTE ON IMAGES: Click to enlarge and save the NASA TV screen grabs. Both show Discovery as seen from the International Space Station as shuttle skipper Pam Melroy guided the orbiter to a safe docking at the outpost.
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