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Endeavour to reach space station with relief crew
Cape Canaveral (US), Nov 25: Space shuttle Endeavour chased after the International Space Station, bringing a relief crew for its three longtime inhabitants.
Cape Canaveral (US), Nov 25: Space shuttle Endeavour chased after the International Space Station, bringing a relief crew for its three longtime inhabitants.
The astronaut who will take over as the space station`s next commander, Kenneth Bowersox, said it was hard to believe he was finally on his way after five long years of training.
"I can`t wait," he said in an interview with the associated press last night. "I`ve seen two or three sunrises during the last couple days and I can`t believe how many more I`ve got ahead of me. But I think every day is going to be precious up here." Bowersox and the six others aboard Endeavour will arrive at the space station this afternoon. American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian cosmonaut Valery Korzun and Sergei Treschev have been aboard the space station for almost six months. Their mission was supposed to last four months, but all of the space shuttles were grounded after they moved in because of cracked plumbing. Then, Endeavour ran into other trouble that further delayed liftoff.
The long wait ended Saturday night with an ear-splitting launch. "You really rocked the house with that ascent," mission control radioed.
The postponements pushed the shuttle flight into normal daytime working hours and because of that, the astronauts said they felt in better shape. "Physically, i think the delays helped us," Bowersox said.
Bureau Report
The astronaut who will take over as the space station`s next commander, Kenneth Bowersox, said it was hard to believe he was finally on his way after five long years of training.
"I can`t wait," he said in an interview with the associated press last night. "I`ve seen two or three sunrises during the last couple days and I can`t believe how many more I`ve got ahead of me. But I think every day is going to be precious up here." Bowersox and the six others aboard Endeavour will arrive at the space station this afternoon. American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian cosmonaut Valery Korzun and Sergei Treschev have been aboard the space station for almost six months. Their mission was supposed to last four months, but all of the space shuttles were grounded after they moved in because of cracked plumbing. Then, Endeavour ran into other trouble that further delayed liftoff.
The long wait ended Saturday night with an ear-splitting launch. "You really rocked the house with that ascent," mission control radioed.
The postponements pushed the shuttle flight into normal daytime working hours and because of that, the astronauts said they felt in better shape. "Physically, i think the delays helped us," Bowersox said.
Bureau Report