[New Horizon]

I believe they are assuming that the shuttle would be docked on the ISS, inspected, and then if problems were discovered the crew would live on the ISS until the rescue ship arrived.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I believe they are assuming that the shuttle would be docked on the ISS, inspected, and then if problems were discovered the crew would live on the ISS until the rescue ship arrived.

I believe that is correct and under certain conditions would be a viable solution. However, it still wouldn't have helped the crew of Columbia a year ago because we were told by NASA after the disaster that Columbia could not have reached the ISS because it lacked the fuel to match orbit with the ISS and it also lacked a suitable docking ring for docking with the ISS.

So, NASA...will all future STS missions be sent to the same height as ISS and, if not, will they carry sufficient fuel and docking adapters to attain synchronous orbit with the ISS?