Space shuttle Discovery, which launched last week, successfully docked with the International Space Station yesterday.

“Capture confirmed,” said Mike Fincke, station commander, after the successful docking.

“We have a beautiful view of the station,” said pilot Tony Antonelli as the shuttle approached the ISS (Houston Chronicle). Fincke was equally complimentary about the approaching shuttle: “We’ve never seen such a beautiful sight.”

Sadly, NASA has confirmed that the bat which tried to hitch a lift on the shuttle is thought to have perished. In a statement the agency says:

Based on images and video, a wildlife expert who provides support to the [Kennedy Space Center] said the small creature was a free tail bat that likely had a broken left wing and some problem with its right shoulder or wrist. The animal likely perished quickly during Discovery’s climb into orbit.

Image: NASA