This is to examine whether any area on the outer part of the shuttle was damaged * Atlantis is expected to dock this evening around 23:00 PM at the International Space Station
The Atlantis crew members on mission STS-117 were busy during the first days in orbit scanning the heat shield of the space shuttle Atlantis and preparing for their arrival today (Sunday) at the International Space Station.
Space station crew members began scanning the heat shield on Saturday evening as scheduled. They use the shuttle's robotic arm to inspect the underside of the shuttle, the nose dome and the front of the wings. The team also used the 17-meter-long extension device worn on the end of the shuttle's robotic arm to scan some of the hard-to-reach areas of the shuttle's surface. The scans should be completed around 01:53 before our time.
The scans were designed to examine if there was any damage to the heat shield during the climb to orbit that began after launch on Friday (Saturday 02:38 Israel time) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the next few days, engineers and flight controllers will analyze the data collected by the team members.
The preparations for Sunday include the expansion of the docking ring and an examination of the tools that will be used for the meeting and will connect the ferry to the station. Docking is expected to take place at 15:38 West Coast Time on Sunday (22:38 Israel time).
Testing the space suits was also on the agenda. The crew will use the spacesuits during the three planned spacewalks on the space station. The main purpose of the spacewalks is to install and operate the new components of the station - Corridors 3 and 4. The shuttle also brings with it a new crew member to the station Clayton Anderson, who replaces Sunita Williams.
