Shuttle Atlantis leaves station after construction mission

Space shuttle Atlantis undock from the International Space Station at 3:24 a.m. (Houston time) after nine days of joint operations carrying the seven-member crew that successfully commissioned the European Space Agency’s new Columbus science laboratory.

Yesterday’s wake-up song, played for STS-122 crew member Dan Tani, at 11:53 p.m. was “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World,” sung by Hawaiian-Japanese vocalist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

With their delivery of the new laboratory, Atlantis' STS-122 astronauts left a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

Atlantis also left behind new Expedition 16 crew member Leopold Eyharts, 95 pounds of oxygen and nearly 1,400 pounds of water.

After undocking, Atlantis flown in front of the station to a range of 400 feet, and then Pilot Alan Poindexter began a full one lap fly around so his crewmates could get video and digital still imagery of Columbus docked to Harmony’s right-side port.

When the shuttle again was crossing directly in front of the station, Poindexter fired the reaction control system jets to begin Atlantis’ separation. He did make the final separation jet firing at 5:10 a.m. starting the crew’s trip home.

As the other crew members prepared for landing, Tani, who has been in space since his launch to the space station in October, was scheduled for exercise to help prepare his body to feel the pull of gravity again. Atlantis is targeted to land at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday at 8:07 a.m.

J. Martín Canales Romero
Operations Coordinator
ISS Flight Operations
Columbus Control Center