Endeavor arrives at the space station

On November 17 morning, NASA's Endeavor carrying 7 astronauts and more than 6 tons of cargo successfully connected with the International Space Station (ISS), with the mission of upgrading the living area. for individuals here.

The astronaut on the ISS station is happy to welcome colleagues from the Endeavor, which has just connected to the station.Photo: NASA TV.

Endeavor arrived at the destination a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Meanwhile, underground experts are studying the footage that records the take-off scene of the train from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida last Saturday, due to the discovery of at least two small fragments.

They could not find any signs of damage on Endeavor, erasing doubts about its insulation being torn during takeoff. Such tests are mandatory since the 2003 Columbia train tragedy, when a debris from an external fuel tank hit the hull. This caused the ship to explode when it returned to Earth, killing all seven astronauts.

Endeavor's mission lasts for 15 days and astronauts will perform four space walks to repair the solar absorption system on the ISS station. Besides, they also have the task of installing new equipment on the station such as new restrooms, kitchen, gym equipment, bedroom . with a total weight of 6,350 kg, to expand the ISS station enough to meet for 6 people working from May 2009 instead of 3 now.

In particular, the number of goods transported to ISS this time has a wastewater treatment system including urine into drinking water by distillation and ionization technology. This system fits in a rack that is about the size of a refrigerator. When under the ground, the device needs a forklift to move, but in space only an astronaut can move it easily.

Endeavor and crew will land back to Kennedy Center on November 30. This is the fourth and also the last flight in 2008 of the United States. NASA plans to carry out 10 more flights of spacecraft before their spaceship expires in 2010.