Space shuttle Endeavour arrives at space station
(AP) -- Space shuttle Endeavour has arrived at the international space station.
Endeavour docked at the space station Friday afternoon for a week-and-a-half-long stay. The linkup created the biggest crowd ever in orbit at the same place: 13 astronauts. The two crews will greet one another, face to face, as soon as the hatches between the craft are opened.
Before docking, commander Mark Polansky guided Endeavour through a backflip so the station astronauts could photograph the entire shuttle, primarily its belly. The station crew used zoom lenses to capture any evidence of serious damage from Wednesday's launch.
A considerable amount of foam insulation peeled away from Endeavour's fuel tank at liftoff and some shuttle thermal tiles were dinged.
漏2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.