STS-127 Hatch Opening – Astronauts Meet
Posted on 19. Jul, 2009 by flyingeraser in Space Exploration
Astronauts are scheduled to open the hatches between the two spacecraft at 3:43 p.m. EDT (1943 GMT). When the newcomers join the existing International Space Station (ISS) crew of six, the total population onboard will be a record 13.
Endeavour commander Mark Polansky, pilot Doug Hurley, and mission specialists Chris Cassidy, Julie Payette, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Dave Wolf will make for a crowded station when they join ISS crewmembers Gennady Padalka, Roman Romanenko, Michael Barratt, Robert Thirsk, Frank De Winne and Koichi Wakata. All five space station member organizations – NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the European Space Agency – will be represented.