SPACE: US SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS DOCKS WITH MIR SPACE STATION скачать в хорошем качестве

SPACE: US SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS DOCKS WITH MIR SPACE STATION

(24 Mar 1996) English/Nat The US space shuttle Atlantis has - slowly and gracefully - moved in and linked with Russia's Mir station as the spacecraft soared 245 miles above Russia. On board the shuttle was NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid who'll be spending five months with the cosmonauts in Mir. Almost nonstop chatter between the six shuttle astronauts and two station cosmonauts in English and Russian - preceded the docking. But NASA's communication lines were quiet as Atlantis glided into Mir's docking port. The space shuttle linked with Russia's space station at 0234 GMT, 245 miles (400 kilometres) above Earth. Atlantis' rendezvous with Mir was NASA's third docking with the Russian station in less than a year. There seemed to be less tension about linking the two 100-ton spacecraft than during the two previous missions, last June and November. Two hours after docking Atlantis' commander Kevin Chilton opened the hatch and greeted his Russian counterpart with a smile and a handshake. The two spacecraft, which have a combined weight of over 200 tonnes, will be docked for five days. NASA assured the Russians that a hydraulic leak on the shuttle would not cause any problems for Mir. On Friday, NASA considered cutting the shuttle flight short because of a leak in a steering system. But officials decided the vehicle was safe and that the escaped hydraulic fluid would not damage any shuttle equipment. The six shuttle astronauts and two station cosmonauts laughed and exchanged gifts before the Atlantis crew posed for a photograph. The two crews then spoke of their pride in taking part in the joint mission. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) (Translation to follow when available) SUPER CAPTION: (Checking id) SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPERCAPTION: Shannon Lucid, NASA Astronaut Shannon Lucid has been preparing for more than a year for the five-month stay on Mir, the longest an American has ever spent in orbit. The mission will provide information about how the human body reacts to long periods of time in orbit. NASA needs this experience before it starts to build and staff an international space station in a few years. Six more shuttle-Mir dockings are planned over the next two years. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...