Endeavour started to the ISS on the sixth attempt. Not without damage

The American spacecraft Endeavour started from the Cosmodrome at Cape Kanveral (Florida) and without problems reached orbit in the ninth minute of the flight.

However, soon after the start it was found that the spaceship received some damage when taking off. This was reported by representatives of the American space department.

In the video made by the camera installed on the outer fuel tank of the ship, it is clear that a slightly significant size of pieces of frozen isolation from the tank hit the shuttle case, causing a certain damage to it, ITAR-TASS reports.

- Record on the record
- Four of the crew speak Russian

It is not yet clear how serious the damage received is. It is expected that today the shuttle crew will conduct a thorough examination of Endeavour thermal protection tiles. Then the pictures taken by astronauts will be sent to the ground for experts to study.

In any case, as indicated in NASA, there is a special repair kit on board the ship, with which the crew members will be able to fix Endeavour before returning to the ground.

The docking with the International Space Station (ISS) should take place on Friday at 13:53 on the time of the east coast of the United States (21:53 Moscow time).

It is assumed that this space trip will last 16 days. The astronauts will have to spend five outputs into outer space. They are scheduled for the fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth and thirteenth days of flight. Shattla crew members will need to mount the brought platform for experiments, as well as perform a number of other works.

There is no clarity when exactly the Shattla unlock from the station will occur. This will depend on the date of arrival at the ISS of the Russian Crumb ship "Progress". Earlier it was reported that he would "moor" to the ISS on July 29 . Until that time, the Indo -Two will need to leave the station.

In order to fully meet the schedule of the work planned for the current expedition, astronauts will reduce the rest time, and will also actively carry out the Endeavour unloading, which will deliver not only large -sized, but also many small cargoes.

Record on the record

When Endeavour is attached to the ISS, the combined crew of the station for the first time in history will be 13 people. This year, the permanent crew of the international orbital complex was increased to six people.

The current flight Endeavour should, moreover, set a record for the shuttle stay at the ISS. This was made possible due to the fact that the almost completed station produces quite electricity. Therefore, the "shuttle", which during the stay in the orbit will be connected to the power supply of the station, will not have to be consumed by its own batteries.

The commander of the crew "Chelnyok" is an experienced astronaut Mark Polanski. Endeavour drives Dag Herli. In addition, the crew includes specialists: Chris Kassidi, Thomas Marsburg, David Wolf, Julie Payet and Tim Copra. The latter will remain to the ISS, replacing the Japanese astronaut in orbit Koiti Vakata, who will return to the ground on the Indoor.

Four of the crew speak Russian

The commander of the current crew of Shattla, 53-year-old Polanski, was already flying into space twice: in 2001 on Atlantis and in 2006 on Discoovery. For the Pilot of the "shuttle", 42-year-old Herli, the upcoming flight will be the first in his career of the astronaut. Interesting in the biography of Major Herli is the fact that for several years he worked in a star town at the Cosmonaut training center, representing NASA there.

The preparation in Russia was also held by a 48-year-old doctor, a space newcomer marchbourne, who for a long time working side by side with Russian colleagues at the Cosmonauts training center, and 52-year-old engineer Wolf. It is Wolf that will lead the “space installers” brigade, which will make several outputs into outer space.

For the second time, a 45-year-old Canadian Payet is sent on a space trip. In 1999, she was the first representative of the maple leaf country to participate in the construction of the ISS. During her last expedition on the shuttle of Discovery, Payet controlled the manipulator made for the station in Canada.

The youngest crew member, 38 -year -old Cassidy, is in the astronauts detachment since 2005. Before entering the service in NASA, he was a personnel officer of the elite division of Seals ("sea cats"). Kassidi served in “hot spots”, including twice traveled on long business trips to Afghanistan.

Another space newcomer, the 46-year-old Kopra will linger for some time in orbit as part of the ISS crew. He is also a "Russian -speaking" member of the current Endeavour team. The American astronaut studied the Russian language in Moscow.

Endeavour was supposed to go to orbit more than a month ago, but first technical problems, and then bad weather prevented the start. It was possible to launch a spacecraft only on the sixth attempt.

The return of shuttle to land is scheduled for July 31.