The space shuttle Atlantis reached the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday, on its 11-day mission to enable its seven-member crew to deliver supplies and undertake vital maintenance work, NASA officials announced.
The spacecraft, piloted by Commander Terrence Wilcutt, linked up with the station some 300 kilometers (186 miles) over the Earth, directly above Kazakhstan.
Shortly before 1 a.m. (0500 GMT) Wilcutt announced: "Houston we have capture," as the Atlantis docked at the ISS.
Overnight Sunday to Monday, two crewmembers are to conduct a six-hour space walk, and astronauts are to board the ISS early Tuesday.
The main task of the Atlantis crew is to transfer more than a ton and a half of equipment and supplies from the shuttle to the ISS, making the space station habitable for a crew due to arrive for a four-month stay in November -- HOUSTON, Texas (AFP)
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