STS-119 Space Shuttle Discovery Docking

At 5:19:53: p.m. EDT, Space shuttle Discovery docked to the Pressurized Mating Adaptor on the front of the International Space Station's Harmony module. Docking occurred over Lake Wells, western Australia. During the next eight days, the combined crews of Discovery and the station will install the S6 truss, complete three spacewalks and transfer hundreds of items between the two craft. Hatches between Discovery and the station will be opened at about 7 p.m., followed by the traditional welcoming ceremony. At about 7:30 p.m., Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Astronaut will become a member of the station's Expedition 18 crew and Sandra Magnus will become a member of Discovery's crew. Magnus will have been a space station crew member for 121 days.

Commander Lee Archambault leads Discovery's crew of seven, along with Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata on mission STS-119 to the International Space Station.

The STS-119 crew members are flying the S6 truss segment and installing the final set of power-generating solar arrays to the International Space Station. The S6 truss will complete the backbone of the station and provide one-fourth of the total power needed to support a crew of six.

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