Within 30,000 feet of each other, or less than six miles, the crews of shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station spoke directly to each other for the first time since the shuttle's launch Sunday."We have you loud and clear, and what a beautiful thing it is," station flight engineer Sandra Magnus said in response to Discovery's communication check.
"Hi, Sandy, we've got you loud and clear. Got a beautiful view of the station from 30,000 feet," said a member of the shuttle.
"It's huge, isn't it?" said Magnus.
"But asymmetric," the shuttle astronaut replied, referring to the station's three sets of solar array wings.
"Yeah, but not for long," said Magnus.
Discovery's mission will add a fourth and final set of American solar array wings on the station's starboard side, balancing the port side.
That work will begin Wednesday.
Magnus was speaking to the crew she'll join shortly after docking at 5:12 p.m.
She'll swap places with Discovery crew member Koichi Wakata, who will stay on the station as a flight engineer after the shuttle departs next week.
The vehicles are closing at a rate of about 11 feet per second.
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