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Shuttle Docks Safely With International Space Station

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The Associated Press

Published: November 17, 2008

CAPE CANAVERAL - Space shuttle Endeavour linked with the International Space Station on Sunday, kicking off a huge home makeover that will allow twice as many astronauts to live at the station beginning next year.

Commander Christopher Ferguson guided the shuttle to a smooth docking as the two spacecraft soared 212 miles above India. His ship's radar worked just fine, despite earlier trouble with the antenna.

Earlier in the afternoon, before Endeavour began its final approach from eight miles out, the space station crew captured striking video of it and the moon, prominent in many of the launch-night photos.

Endeavour is delivering thousands of pounds of home improvement gear: an extra bathroom, kitchenette and exercise machine, two more sleeping compartments, and a fancy new recycling system for converting urine and condensation into drinking water.

Most of the equipment is inside a giant cylinder that Endeavour's astronauts will attach to the space station today.

Endeavour and its crew will spend almost two weeks at the space station, a little longer than usual. Four spacewalks will be carried out beginning Tuesday, primarily to clean and lubricate a solar wing-rotating joint that broke down more than a year ago.

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