Stuffed full of throwaway items, the 8-ton trashcan ultimately will be incinerated during a fiery dive back into the atmosphere.

"The Progress basically has been transformed from a resupply vehicle to a garbage scow," said NASA flight commentator Rob Navias.

Launched September 8, the Atlantis astronauts are outfitting the new international station for its first resident crew, which is due to take up residence at the 13-story complex in early November.

Chief among their jobs: Powering up the Russian-made Zvezda Service Module, a command post that will double as crew quarters at the outpost.

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Battery woes

A mini-space station unto itself, the Service Module was launched with just five of its eight batteries, which store electricity from its power-producing solar arrays for use when the outpost is flying on the dark side of Earth.

The other three batteries were ferried to station aboard the Progress and Atlantis and then installed Tuesday by the shuttle crew.

One of the new batteries, however, failed to charge properly, prompting a troubleshooting effort by the astronauts. They double-checked connections between the battery and associated electronics units but were unable to pinpoint the problem. Theyll try again Saturday.

NASA officials said the apparent battery failure was no big deal. Only five of the Zvezda batteries are needed to provide sufficient power for the first resident crew.

"With seven other batteries on line, the Service Module has more than ample power to run all station systems," Navias said.

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Moving week continues

Other work on the station, meanwhile, continued as planned. During a 16-hour work shift, the astronauts:

• Hooked up four power conversation units that ultimately will route electricity from U.S. solar arrays to the new crew quarters and a Russian space tug at the station.

  The devices "are very much like power converters you would take on a trip overseas to run your electronics equipment," Navias said.

  The American-made solar arrays are to be launched in late November aboard shuttle Endeavour. Cables installed by the shuttles crew during a six-hour spacewalk earlier this week will be used to connect the converters with the wing-like arrays.

• Fired shuttle thrusters to boost the station to a higher altitude.

  The hour-long series of 36 pulse-like firings -- each of which lasted 100 seconds -- inched the outpost up to a point 237 miles (379 kilometers) the planet.

  The orbit-raising maneuver was the third of four planned for the flight, and in the midst of it, the crew cruised above the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.