Endeavour crew shed new light on Earth
Source: Agencies |
February 20, 2010, Saturday
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THE crews of the linked space shuttle and space station embraced and said farewell yesterday as they prepared for Endeavour to begin its two-day trip home.
There were hugs and handshakes all around as the six Endeavour astronauts floated one by one out of the International Space Station, where they installed a seven-window observation deck that gives astronauts unparalleled views of Earth.
"We are really going to enjoy the view. I wish you guys could stay a little longer to partake in that view," the space station's skipper, Jeffrey Williams, told his shuttle friends.
"Yeah, it's tough to turn away from that window," shuttle commander George Zamka said of the atrium's domed centerpiece.
Each of the astronauts spent a few moments alone in the dome on Thursday, taking in what they described as stunning views of Earth.
"Arguably, mankind has been after this view for centuries, this perspective, this view of the world, and we finally have it," Zamka said.
The 11 astronauts teamed up over the past week to install the dome and a new room, called Tranquility, marking the last of the major space station building blocks.
Zamka presented a plaque to hang in the dome that contained four chips of moon rock and a stone retrieved from the top of Mt Everest.
The lunar chips were collected from the Sea of Tranquility during man's first moon landing in 1969. The chamber was named after that momentous achievement.
"It's going to be so hard to put into words the view that we see out those beautiful seven windows," astronaut Kay Hire said. "The best way I can think of is comparing a black and white analogue picture to a super high-def color picture. It's just phenomenal what we can see out there."
There were hugs and handshakes all around as the six Endeavour astronauts floated one by one out of the International Space Station, where they installed a seven-window observation deck that gives astronauts unparalleled views of Earth.
"We are really going to enjoy the view. I wish you guys could stay a little longer to partake in that view," the space station's skipper, Jeffrey Williams, told his shuttle friends.
"Yeah, it's tough to turn away from that window," shuttle commander George Zamka said of the atrium's domed centerpiece.
Each of the astronauts spent a few moments alone in the dome on Thursday, taking in what they described as stunning views of Earth.
"Arguably, mankind has been after this view for centuries, this perspective, this view of the world, and we finally have it," Zamka said.
The 11 astronauts teamed up over the past week to install the dome and a new room, called Tranquility, marking the last of the major space station building blocks.
Zamka presented a plaque to hang in the dome that contained four chips of moon rock and a stone retrieved from the top of Mt Everest.
The lunar chips were collected from the Sea of Tranquility during man's first moon landing in 1969. The chamber was named after that momentous achievement.
"It's going to be so hard to put into words the view that we see out those beautiful seven windows," astronaut Kay Hire said. "The best way I can think of is comparing a black and white analogue picture to a super high-def color picture. It's just phenomenal what we can see out there."
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