Space Station Status Report for May 18

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

STS-134/Endeavour docked smoothly at the ISS PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter-2) port on time at ~6:14am EDT this morning, with all hooks closed by 6:30am, rigidizing the Shuttle/ISS linkup. After successful completion of the RPM (R-Bar Pitch Maneuver) at ~5:23am, Endeavour arrived at +V-Bar (310 ft straight in front of ISS) at about 6:00am. The station now hosts twelve occupants as Mission ULF-6 is underway. [The combined crew is comprised of ISS-CDR Dmitri Kondratyev (Russia), FE-1 Aleksandr Samokutyayev (Russia), FE-2 Andrey Borisenko (Russia), FE-3 Ron Garan (USA), FE-5 Paolo Nespoli (ESA/Italy), FE-6 Cady Coleman (USA), STS-CDR Mark Kelly, PLT Gregory Johnson, MS1 Mike Fincke, MS2 Roberto Vittorio (ESA/Italy), MS3 Drew Feustel and MS4 Greg Chamitoff. Welcome aboard, guys!]

After the docking, the station was reoriented by the small vernier thrusters of the Shuttle (ORB mode) to minimize the risk of micrometeoroid/debris impacts upon the Shuttle, with the Endeavour's belly turned opposite to the flight direction (-XVV = -x-axis in velocity vector, +z-axis in local vertical).…