Live in Orbit: Japanese tune wakes crew

Space shuttle Discovery's seven astronauts woke this morning to a traditional Japanese tune known as "Radio Exercise."

The tune, piped in at 9:44 a.m., was in honor of Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who after arriving on the International Space Station with the rest of the Discovery team, will remain behind as part of the outpost's three-person crew.

The Japanese tune, performed by the Tokyo Broadcast Children's Choir, is traditionally played while children exercise.

"It's a wonderful morning in orbit," Wakata said.

Houston's Mission Control also wished the crew a Happy St. Patrick's Day, saying "Erin go Braugh."

The crew has a busy day today as they dock with the space station. Rendezvous operations begin with a series of thruster burns starting around 11:30 a.m. to adjust Discovery's trajectory to the station.

And for those eager to catch a great view, be sure to check back here to watch mission commander Lee Archambault guide the shuttle through a dramatic back flip just 600 feet beneath the station before the planned 5:12 p.m. docking.

That maneuver enables three astronauts on the station to shoot pictures of the heat shielding tiles covering Discovery's belly as part of the continuing check for damage.