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Astronauts hitch giant crate to space station

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-18 15:10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Astronauts hitched a giant shipping crate full of home improvement "goodies" to the international space station on Monday, a critical step for boosting the population in orbit.

It was the first major job for the crews of the linked space station and space shuttle Endeavour, and highlighted their first full day together.

In this image from NASA TV mission specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, front, and Steve Bowen work in the air lock aboard the International Space Station, Monday, November 17, 2008 to prepare for their space walk scheduled for Tuesday. [Agencies]

"We're here to work," the space station's skipper, Mike Fincke, called down. "This is the can-do crew."

More than 14,000 pounds of gear was stuffed into the 21-foot container that flew up on Endeavour and was hoisted onto the space station. It held an extra toilet, refrigerator and kitchenette, exercise machine and sleeping compartments, and a new recycling system for converting urine into drinking water.

Fincke called it "the goodies ... things needed for an extreme home makeover."

NASA cannot double the number of space station residents from three to six next year until all the equipment -- most notably the water recycling system -- has been installed and tested. Additional equipment will be launched in February.

Until now, the space station has been a one-kitchen, one-bath, three-bedroom house. That third bedroom is actually a makeshift nook in the US lab. The orbiting outpost is on the verge of becoming a two-kitchen, two-bath, five-bedroom home and will have six full bedrooms in a few more months.

Mission Control burst into applause and cheers after astronaut Don Pettit announced that the hatch had been opened between the station and the cargo container, nicknamed "Leonardo."

"We're very proud to announce that Leonardo made it aboard the space station safely," Pettit said. "The hatch is open and no damage or anything is noted ... It looks beautiful."

Astronaut Sandra Magnus -- the newest space station resident -- spent Monday getting used to her new home. She flew up on Endeavour and promptly traded places with Gregory Chamitoff, who's headed home after a six-month mission. Magnus will spend 3 1/2 months on board.

Besides being moving day for the 10 space travelers, Monday involved gearing up for the first of four planned spacewalks.

On Tuesday, two of the shuttle crew will venture outside and begin the most complicated cleaning and lube job ever attempted in orbit. One of two massive joints that turn the space station's solar wings toward the sun has been jammed for more than a year; it's clogged with metal grit from grinding parts. They'll also squirt some grease onto the joint that's working fine, to prevent any future hang-ups. The work will fill up all four spacewalks.

"We have a little cleaning and greasing to do," said astronaut Stephen Bowen, who will step out Tuesday. The objective is to make the joint "come back to life," he said.

On Monday evening, the chairman of the mission management team, LeRoy Cain, reported that Endeavour's thermal shielding looked solid and that only a bit more analysis remained before being able to clear the shuttle for the ride home. Engineers have been poring over photos from Friday night's launch and Sunday's rendezvous with the space station, and data collected from the wing and nose cap inspections to ensure the shuttle sustained no serious damage.

Endeavour and its crew of seven will remain at the space station until at least Thanksgiving.