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| Japan space lab anchored to ISS | Japan space lab anchored to ISS |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A team of astronauts has attached a $1bn (£500m) Japanese laboratory to the International Space Station (ISS). | |
| The 15-tonne Kibo lab was delivered by the shuttle Discovery. It will be the station's biggest room, for the study of biomedicine and material sciences. | |
| Astronauts Akihiko Hoshide and Karen Nyberg manoeuvred Kibo into place, using the space station's robotic arm. | Astronauts Akihiko Hoshide and Karen Nyberg manoeuvred Kibo into place, using the space station's robotic arm. |
| The lab was anchored after two crew members had made preparations during a spacewalk lasting more than six hours. | The lab was anchored after two crew members had made preparations during a spacewalk lasting more than six hours. |
| Discovery docked at the ISS on Monday after a two-day voyage. | Discovery docked at the ISS on Monday after a two-day voyage. |
| As well as the Japanese laboratory, the shuttle has also brought a new pump for the station's toilet, which broke nearly two weeks ago. | As well as the Japanese laboratory, the shuttle has also brought a new pump for the station's toilet, which broke nearly two weeks ago. |
| The failure has resulted in the resident crew on the ISS having to perform manual flushes several times a day. | |
| Weightless clues | |
| The Kibo Japanese Pressurised Module (JPM) is the size of a bus and joins the US Destiny lab and the European Columbus lab which are already attached to the platform. | The Kibo Japanese Pressurised Module (JPM) is the size of a bus and joins the US Destiny lab and the European Columbus lab which are already attached to the platform. |
| Kibo is so big it could not be fitted inside a single shuttle and is being assembled in three parts. A logistics module went up on the previous shuttle flight; an exposed "terrace" on which experiments can be done outside of the station will launch in 2009. | |
| The logistics module will be moved from its current docking position to a berthing point on the JPM later in Discovery's mission. All of its contents - experimental racks and equipment - can then be moved inside the 11.2m-long cylinder to get the module ready for science. | |
| Kibo experiments will make use of the weightless conditions experienced in orbit. | |
| Being able to see how biological, chemical and physical systems behave in the absence of a strong gravity field will help researchers better understand how the human body works and aid their search for materials that display useful new properties. | |
| The Discovery flight has also delivered Canadian-born astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who will replace flight engineer Garrett Reisman as a station resident for the next six months. | |
| Discovery also carried up a VIP - the space ranger Buzz Lightyear. | |
| The 30cm-tall (12in) action figure, made famous in the Disney/Pixar Toy Story movies, went into orbit as part of an educational programme. | The 30cm-tall (12in) action figure, made famous in the Disney/Pixar Toy Story movies, went into orbit as part of an educational programme. |
| Nine further shuttle flights are required to complete the ISS before the orbiter fleet is retired in 2010. | Nine further shuttle flights are required to complete the ISS before the orbiter fleet is retired in 2010. |
| Discovery's return to Earth is scheduled for 14 June. | |