Crews of Mir, Endeavour embrace

January 24, 1998
Web posted at: 7:23 p.m. EST (0023 GMT)

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas (CNN) -- The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour has linked up with the Russian space station Mir to exchange astronauts and deliver supplies.

The two spacecraft made contact at 3:14 p.m. EST (2014 GMT) Saturday, about 240 miles above southern Russia. After a series of safety checks, the hatch between Endeavour and Mir was opened at 5:24 p.m., as their combined craft was floating over the Pacific between Australia and New Zealand.

Astronauts and cosmonauts greeted each other with hugs and handshakes.

"You guys look great. Welcome," said David Wolf as he floated through the hatch. Wolf has been on Mir since September.

Australian-born U.S. astronaut Andrew Thomas will be replacing Wolf on the Russian station and will stay for four months. He is the seventh and last American scheduled to spend time aboard Mir as part of a joint U.S.-Russian program.

Wolf will board Endeavour for the return ride to Earth.

"Thanks for coming to get me," Wolf said. "It's time to go back, I think, and turn the ball over to Andy."

Thomas: No fear

Reunion 3.2MB/41 sec./240x180 1.5MB/41 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

Despite problems that have plagued Mir, including a fire and collision, Thomas, 46, says he isn't fearful about his impending stay on the space station.

"I think the Russians have done a very good job of stabilizing the situation on Mir following some very serious situations last year," he said in an interview prior to the docking. "My concern more is just learning to live and function for a long time on a day-to-day basis in conditions which at times might be difficult."

The same concerns about safety before Wolf's departure led NASA officials to consider canceling his mission, as some members of Congress were demanding. But in the end, NASA opted to go ahead, and Wolf's stay on Mir has been relatively glitch-free.

Mir and Endeavour are scheduled to remain docked for five days. During that time, thousands of pounds of supplies will be moved from the shuttle into the space station, including water, food, an air conditioner, a spare computer and several scientific experiments.

First Mir docking for Endeavour

This was the first Mir docking for Endeavour, the newest shuttle in the American fleet. It docked with the space station after approaching it from directly below, an approach never before attempted.

David Wolf as the shuttle docks with Mir

The new approach was requested by the Russians, who believed the previous docking methods were causing jets on the shuttle to contaminate Mir's solar arrays. Wolf told mission controllers that the docking was unusually smooth.

Endeavour blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday night. But rough seas have so far prevented crews from recovering its solid rocket boosters, which were shed over the Atlantic Ocean after liftoff.

The boosters are bobbing in the sea about 150 miles off the Florida coast, monitored by Navy ships to make sure they pose no danger to shipping.

Reuters contributed to this report.

· MIR MAIN PAGE · RELATED SITES · HISTORY · TIMELINE

· GALLERY · SOYUZ · CREW · REPAIR MISSION

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