The International Space Station's robotic arm has hoisted the cargo module called Leaonard from shuttle Discovery's payload bay and is slowly moving into position to dock on the outpost.
The packed module weighed more than 27,000 pounds at liftoff, including more than 15,000 pounds of supplies, equipment and science experiments.
Shuttle pilot Kevin Ford and station flight engineer Mike Barratt are operating the arm from a console inside the station's Destiny lab.
Once Leonardo is in position on the Earth-facing port of the Harmony connecting node, 16 bolts will fasten it securely to form an airtight seal.
Later, leak checks will follow along with pressurization of the vestibule between two hatches between Leonardo and the station and activation of power and data connections.
The hatches are scheduled to open early Tuesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment