Atlantis docks with space station one final time - Houston Chronicle

Atlantis has docked with the International Space Station.

At 9:08 a.m. today, the shuttle flew near the space station and performed a 360-degree back flip in space, allowing astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory to photograph the belly of the shuttle.

These images will be sent to imagery experts on the ground who will ensure that the shuttle belly's heat shield tiles were not significantly damaged during Friday's launch.

After the back-flip maneuver, commander Chris Ferguson guided Atlantis toward the station and docked shortly after 10 a.m.

And with that, Atlantis' crew began transferring all that cargo they brought to orbit.

Atlantis spent a nearly flawless first full day in orbit on Saturday, with the space shuttle's crew inspecting the vehicle to ensure it sustained no significant damage during launch.

Although a final assessment of the shuttle's heat shield won't be made until later this week, upon first appearance it looks to be in good condition. During the last mission of the space shuttle program the vehicle, overall, is behaving very well, NASA officials said.

"I couldn't be happier with where we are right now," said LeRoy Cain, chairman of the mission management team.

The four astronauts aboard Atlantis — Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, and mission specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim — spent a busy Saturday in space using a robotic arm with a camera attached to inspect the shuttle's nose and the leading edges of its wings for impact damage.

It's been more than two decades since a shuttle has flown with so few crew members, and there are typically six or seven astronauts on the vehicle to assist with these inspections.

"We normally do have some more hands on board, but I'm happy to report that our four-person crew is staying well ahead of the timeline," Cain said. "And that's saying a lot for flight day two."

NASA assigned just four astronauts to the flight because it wanted to pack the spacecraft with as many supplies as possible for a delivery run to the International Space Station.

Significantly, Atlantis will deliver a year's worth of food to the six space station crew members.

eric.berger@chron.com

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