A Japanese space freighter just completed a weeklong debut flight as a former Kennedy Space Center engineer-turned-astronauts snared the cargo carrier with the outpost's Canadian-built robot arm.NASA flight commentator Rob Navias said U.S. station flight engineer Nicole Stott used "kid gloves" to grapple the carrier -- which is the size of a small school bus -- at 3:47 p.m. as the spacecraft soared 220 miles above western Romania.
There was loud applause in NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston, and Stott -- who spent 10 years at KSC between 1988 and 1998 -- gave a thumbs up. The entire six-member crew gave the ground a toast with special HTV drink bags.Click to enlarge the series of 10 NASA TV screen grabs of the final approach and capture of the H-II Transfer Vehicle, which is carrying 3.5 tons of supplies and equipment.
Stott said the astronauts were anxious to open up the freighter tomorrow to see what goodies might have been sent up to the six-member crew.The grapple demonstrated a new technique for docking at the station. Russian Progress and European ATV carriers use automated docking systems. U.S. commercial cargo carriers aim to use the same docking method during future supply runs so the arrival today validated the capability.
1 comment:
Pic's are great. My son and I visited NASA this summer while the Japan sections were being prepared for the station and came away very CONCERNED for Japan section. Americans were violating their own clean room protocols, while the Japanese were abiding by them. seeing our people so un concerned and were street shoes in the clean room while electric equipment was worked on is bad for everyone. My son is an electrical engineer an noticed it right away.
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