Mission

Space shuttle Endeavour docked with ISS （Image credit: NASA）

Space shuttle Endeavour, delivering Kibo's Exposed Facility (EF) and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section (ELM-ES), docked with the International Space Station (ISS) today at 2:47 a.m.

The hatches between the ISS and the space shuttle were opened at 4:48 a.m., and the STS-127 Mission crewmembers floated into the ISS at 4:55 a.m. Now the combined crew has as many as 13 members, the largest number in the history of the ISS.

Prior to the shuttle's docking to the ISS, Endeavour performed the R-bar Pitch Maneuver (RPM) just below the ISS. During the RPM operation, the ISS crew took photos of Endeavour's heat shield with telephoto lens cameras. The photos taken during the RPM were downlinked to the ground for the engineer team to assess whether the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS) is safe for reentry.

In preparation for FD 4, the crew reviewed the procedure for the first of 5 EVA conducted during this mission.

Soon after welcoming the crewmembers of Endeavour, astronaut Wakata changed his position as ISS Expedition 20 crew with Timothy Kopra. As they completed the seat liners change of the Soyuz TMA spacecraft at 6:22 a.m., astronaut Wakata officially became the STS-127 Mission Specialist, after 122 days since he became the Expedition 18 crewmember.

Astronaut Wakata will continue with his mission as a STS-127 crewmember, involved in installing of Kibo's EF.

Activities for FD4 include:

• EVA #1
• Attaching the Kibo' EF to the Kibo PM
• Activation of the Kibo EF (Completion of Kibo)

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)