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Shuttle Discovery arrives at space station

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-03-18 10:24

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery arrived at the international space station Tuesday, delivering one last set of solar wings that should boost the orbiting complex to full power.

The two craft linked up 220 miles above Australia.

"Welcome ... we are dang glad to see you," said Mike Fincke, the station's skipper.

The Space Shuttle Discovery is backdropped against the clouds prior to docking with the International Space Station in this image from NASA TV March 17, 2009. [Agencies]

The two crews - 10 people in all - shook hands and hugged when the hatches between them swung open. Fincke paid a special welcome to newcomer Koichi Wakata, "first long-duration Japanese guy in space ever."

"We also understand you have a truss out there, more power to us, got some spacewalks lined up. We're excited for that," Fincke said.

Before pulling up, commander Lee Archambault guided Discovery through a 360-degree back flip so the station astronauts could photograph its belly. Fincke said even though the station residents didn't hear the go-ahead to take pictures because of communication system trouble, they got some good shots and the shuttle looked "clean, very nice."

The digital pictures - more than 200 of them - were immediately transmitted to Earth. Experts will scrutinize the images for any signs of launch damage, standard procedure following the 2003 Columbia disaster. A chunk of fuel-tank foam insulation smacked Columbia's wing at liftoff, dooming the shuttle and its crew during re-entry two weeks later.

Fincke and his two station crewmates were thrilled to finally get some company. Discovery and its crew of seven were supposed to show up last month, but launch delays kept the shuttle grounded until Sunday. The postponements resulted in a shortened visit.

"We've been waiting for you guys for a while," Fincke teased. "Let's get to work."

Loaded aboard Discovery are two solar wings that will be installed at the space station later this week. The electricity-producing panels will join six others already in place - four on one side and two on the other - and finally make the outpost look balanced and like the artist renderings.

"It's huge, isn't it?" space station resident Sandra Magnus radioed to the shuttle astronauts as they were 30,000 feet away. "But asymmetric," said one of Discovery's crew. "But not for long," Magnus replied.

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