KOROLYOV, Moscow region. Nov 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The International Space Station (ISS) astronauts had had a rendezvous with the Atlantis space shuttle crew, a NASA representative to the Russian mission control center told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"The crews of the space shuttle and the ISS opened hatches and met. There will be 12 astronauts onboard the ISS for the next ten days," he said.
The Atlantis that took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, U.S., on Monday latched on the American Harmony module.
The first spacewalk of Atlantis crewmembers, Michael Foreman and Robert Satcher, will begin at 5:18 p.m. Moscow time on Thursday and last for approximately 6.5 hours.
In all, there will be three spacewalks, on November 19, 21 and 23.
The space shuttle engines will lift up the ISS and the two crews will give a press conference on November 24. The undocking is scheduled for the November 25 night, and the Atlantis will return to base at 5:47 p.m. Moscow time on November 27.