NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

› View Now NASA COMMENTARY: Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow maneuvering the vehicle through a nine-minute, 360-degree backflip as the two vehicles pass over South America.

Once the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver is complete, the crew does have a "go" to move the shuttle within 600 feet of the International Space Station now.

Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikin will use a digital camera with a 400 mm lens, while Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov will use a digital camera with an 800mm lens to photograph Altantis' heat shield.

These images will be downlinked to mission control as soon as possible for imagery analysis.

This imagery is one of several inspection techniques during the flight to help determine the health of the shuttle's thermal protection system, including the tiles and reinforced carbon carbon wing leading edges and nosecap.

ISS: Start photos

NASA COMMENTARY: Crew onboard the space station now beginning to take digital photographs of Atlantis during the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver.

Atlantis: ISS, Atlantis, end photos.

ISS: End photos.

NASA COMMENTARY: Crew onboard the International Space Station instructed to complete the imagery of Atlantis' heat shield as Atlantis' Commander Rick Sturckow continues the flip of Atlantis, still 600 feet below the International Space Station. › View Now