Leonardo Module Docked to Space Station

SLN: Up to the Minute, I'm Charles Atkeison. The crew of Endeavour today used the robotic arm to pluck a supply module from her bay and attach it to the space station in an effort to help increase the station's crew size next year.

Known as the Leonardo multipurpose logistics module, it carries over 14,200 pounds of supplies, a second toliet, two sleep stations, and more to help increase the space station's crew size beginning this May with a Russian Soyuz launch.

Leonardo began its move out of the payload bay via the shuttle's arm at 12:08 pm ET. Less than one hour later, the module was docked to the station's Harmony module.

At 6:43 pm, the hatches between Leonardo and Harmony were opened exposing a vast array of new station equipment and furnishings. The NASA-TV downlink from the space station has been great as they increase their high def broadcasting and HD video downlink from the orbiting outpost.

The crews will go to sleep at 12:55 pm ET tonight, and awake at 8:55 Tuesday morning. Later, at 1:45 pm, two of Endeavour's crew member's will begin the first of four planned STS-126 spacewalks in support of station construction and upgrades.

At an MET+2 days, 23 hours, 20 minutes, this is spacelaunchnews.com.