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Historic Pairing: Shuttle Docked To the ISS

Posted by timothy on from the hey-baby-want-to-exchange-air-supplies? dept.

astroengine writes "It's been imaged in artists' renderings, but never before in actual photos: the sight of a space shuttle berthed at the International Space Station. This view of shuttle Endeavour, taken by Italian astronaut Paulo Nespoli from aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule on May 23, is the culmination of 36 space shuttle missions to build the outpost over the past 12 years. NASA wanted the shot before it retires the shuttle fleet after one final mission in July."

6 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. Not True by WatcherXP · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Too bad about the "but never before in actual photos" statement, as this is not actually true.

    http://blog.polignostix.com/wp-content/gallery/iss-sun/3.jpg

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    09-f9-11-02-9* (G^GCA_++{>. RV>>>>+++ NO CARRIER
    1. Re:Not True by Soft · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Here's a couple of more recent ones, including videos, also taken from the ground (by the same photographer, probably): http://legault.perso.sfr.fr/STS-134.html

  2. What I'll miss most... by Soft · · Score: 4, Informative
    Now that Paolo Nespoli is back on the ground, I'll miss the updates on his photo album, where he regularly treated us with pictures of Earth, cities, and fun stuff on the ISS itself. Fortunately, they're still online!

    (And it's Paolo, not Paulo; he's Italian, not Portuguese...)

  3. Labels? by Lifyre · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Now if someone could just label all the different parts and what they do it would be useful for those of us who think this is cool but don't exactly follow it closely.

    For clarity I mean more than 1) Space Shuttle 2) International Space Station. I think I got that part figured out.

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    I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
  4. Re:It's not just an image... by johnlcallaway · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This post and it's parent are why I so rarely read Slashdot anymore. It's occupied by a bunch of self-centered elitists who cannot think outside of their own warped sense of reality based on only paying attention to articles they agree with so they don't have to think, they just repeat sound bites heard elsewhere. Please score them both as -20 ... no content worth reading.

    Then add this post to the same list.

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    I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
  5. Re:It's not just an image... by AngryDeuce · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can think of a hundred other things my money is spent on that I think is more of a waste than the Shuttle Program. I'd rather my taxes go to science and furthering human understanding the universe than, say, prosecuting and incarcerating people for possessing the dried out leaves of a plant that grows wild because (horror of horrors) some people like to smoke it and get high.

    But I guess we all have to accept a little give and take when it comes to our tax money, right?