Discovery docks with orbiting space station

NASA's space shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station on Sunday evening.

The link up with the orbiting space station occurred about 360 kilometres above the planet at 8:54 p.m. ET, the space agency said.

Discovery and its crew of seven are delivering thousands of kilograms of science experiments and equipment, including a treadmill, which was launched in more than 100 pieces.

The 13-day mission will also drop off astronaut Nicole Stott, 46, who will remain on the orbiting space station until another shuttle comes to get her in November. Discovery will bring back another astronaut who has been on the space station for two months.

The astronauts will also perform three spacewalks to replace an ammonia tank and perform other outside maintenance. The first one will occur Tuesday night.

It's only the second time 13 people are together in orbit. The first was last month during space shuttle Endeavour's space station visit.

A mechanical failure made the rendezvous all the more challenging for shuttle commander Rick Sturckow, 48. One of Discovery's small thrusters began leaking shortly after Friday's midnight liftoff and had to be shut down.

None of the little jets was available for the rendezvous and docking, and Sturckow had to use the bigger, more powerful primary thrusters, making for a somewhat bumpier and noisier ride.

In another development, a preliminary review of launch pictures and other data indicated the shuttle had no major damage, said LeRoy Cain, chairman of NASA's mission management team.

No significant pieces of foam insulation were spotted coming off the fuel tank, but Cain cautioned that several more days of analysis are needed.

Engineers will have more data after Discovery docks at the space station. The shuttle will perform a slow backflip so the space station crew can photograph its belly in a search for evidence of damage to the shuttle tiles.