Back dropped against a blue and white Earth, the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis was photographed by an Expedition 5 crew member onboard the International Space Station (ISS) during rendezvous and docking operations. Docking occurred at 10:17 am on October 9, 2002. Once docked, the astronauts of both the shuttle and the space station worked together to transfer equipment and supplies between the two spacecraft.
The primary objective of the STS-112 mission was to install the S1 Truss segment on the space station, which would serve as the backbone for future construction efforts. The S1 Truss was delivered to the ISS by the Space Shuttle Atlantis, and the station's robotic arm was used to lift it from the shuttle's cargo bay and attach it to the station.
During the mission, the crew conducted four spacewalks to install and activate the S1 Truss segment. The spacewalks were carried out by Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus, Piers Sellers, and Dave Wolf, who worked in pairs to accomplish the tasks assigned to them. The spacewalks lasted several hours each and required the astronauts to use a variety of specialized tools and techniques to complete their tasks in the weightless environment of space.
The docking and installation of the S1 Truss segment were critical milestones in the ongoing construction of the International Space Station, and the success of the STS-112 mission helped pave the way for future construction efforts.
Image credits: NASA