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CNN Live Today
Shuttle Endeavour Reaches International Space Station
Aired June 07, 2002 - 14:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Just trying to help the space boy here launch his chair.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Come on.
HARRIS: OK.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the ejection seat.
HARRIS: I say that with all respect. Miles O'Brien is a good friend.
KAGAN: Space correspondent.
O'BRIEN: After your math act, it's hard to follow. You did that entire thing without using any fingers. I was impressed.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: How many international space stations are there up there?
O'BRIEN: There's only one. And there are three crew members on board who right now have their nose pressed against the glass, dying for the hatch to open up. It's a little behind schedule right now.
The space station (sic) Endeavour did in fact dock with the international space station about two hours ago. But there was a problem with oscillations. Yes, a problem with oscillations. They had to dampen their oscillations.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Two vehicles came together. A space shuttle weighs about a quarter-million pounds. The space station is a little more than that. By the way, can we just talk a little bit about the space shuttle? Because this is such a cool shot.
First of all, right there -- let's do this. That's the Mediterranean Sea beneath them right there. Check this out. See that thing that looks like a tin can?
KAGAN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: That's called the MPLM. HARRIS: OK. Quiz?
KAGAN: Miles...
O'BRIEN: No, multipurpose logistics module. That is a space-age shipping container. It has about 5,000 pounds of stuff for the crew: food, clothing, water, you name it, whatever they need in orbit.
Now, take a look at the shot. There's the shuttle from earlier. We're going in reverse order here. See it coming there. This has to be a sight for sore eyes. The crew is on board the space station now, celebrating -- I don't know if that's the term -- marking their 183rd day on the space shuttle.
KAGAN: That's going to be a record, right?
O'BRIEN: It will be. By the time they land, they will exceed Shannon Lucid's record, set primarily on Mir in 1996, of 188 days. They'll be at about 194, depending on when the shuttle actually touches down. There you get a sense of the speed, there.
The two vehicles are only approaching each other at about 1/10 of a mile an hour, as you see right here. A very slow closure rate, as they say in the rocket business. But they're both moving in excess of 17,500 miles an hour.
KAGAN: Unbelievable.
O'BRIEN: So that gives you some sense. It kind of has a surreal characteristic to it. Anyway, the docking went off without a hitch, if you'll excuse that expression. Ken Cockrell, the commander of the space shuttle Endeavour, who's done this about 3.5 million times in a simulator, pulled it off for real. He did just fine.
It was the 13th shuttle docking at the space station. NASA didn't play this up too much, 13 being what it is.
KAGAN: But if they're docked, why can't they just open the door?
O'BRIEN: Pressurization, leak checks, all kinds of stuff. You don't want to open up the hatch and...
KAGAN: And go whoosh.
O'BRIEN: You know, if the seal isn't just right. By the way, this is a quick shot on there...
KAGAN: They're pulling the plug on you.
O'BRIEN: That was one of the poor guys, Carl Walz and Dan Bursch, who are just dying for a juicy steak and a beer right now. And I can bet the minute that hatch opens, you bet, they're going to go right over to the shuttle and say, "see you guys, have a great time. Have a great visit."
KAGAN: Super. Good to see you. HARRIS: Thanks for your vision.
O'BRIEN: See you guys later. Bye.
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