Two days after its launch, the space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station on Friday, delivering the station鈥檚 next-to-last support beam and more than two tonnes of gear.
Shuttle commander Scott Kelly gently pulsed his spaceship鈥檚 steering jets to align a docking ring in Endeavour鈥檚 open cargo bay with a matching latch mounted on the front of the station鈥檚 Destiny laboratory module.
The rings clasped shut at 1402 EDT (1802 GMT) as the two spacecraft sailed 344 km (214 miles) above the South Pacific.
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鈥淲elcome on board,鈥� said station commander Fyodor Yurchikhin as a ship鈥檚 bell on the station was rung to signal the shuttle鈥檚 arrival, copying a naval tradition.
Only two of Endeavour鈥檚 seven NASA astronauts have ever been to the outpost. Flight engineer Rick Mastracchio鈥檚 mission took place before resident crews, made up principally of US astronauts and Russian cosmonauts, began living there in November 2000. Shuttle pilot Charles Hobaugh visited in 2001.
鈥淲e鈥檙e waiting for you,鈥� station flight engineer Clay Anderson radioed Kelly as the shuttle made its final approach.
The Space Shuttle 鈥� Learn more in our continuously updated .
