Blogger update: 5:15 p.m. About 30 feet from the International Space Station, commander Lee Archambault paused to adjust course slightly, then said he was initiating Discovery's final approach.Shuttle Discovery is backing toward the International Space Station, slowly closing a final 400 foot gap.
Mission commander Lee Archambault is piloting the orbiter at a relative speed of one-tenth of a foot per second - "a snail's pace," in Archambault's words.
He's using the "centerline" camera to keep the shuttle and station docking systems lined up to a tolerance within three inches. The shuttle's docking ring will trigger automated latches that will "soft" mate the vehicles, dampening the "collision" with shock absorbers.
The seven-person crew is running about 10 minutes behind schedule, which should put the docking at 5:22 p.m. EDT.
Crew members are processing navigational data through their laptop computers.
Mission specialists Steve Swanson and John Phillips will make sure final hooks are closed to secure the two spacecraft together.
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