The view from space has always had the “wow” factor. Now thanks to the bay window-like cupola attached to the new Tranquility node, the International Space Station has a panoramic view that takes the wow factor to the max.
The STS-130 astronauts delivered the two new space station pieces, the final components of the U.S. segment of the station, aboard space shuttle Endeavour during the first mission of the year
The assembled crew consisted of Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts, and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. All but Virts were veterans of previous spaceflights.
During their final trip outside the station, spacewalkers Patrick and Behnken prepared cupola’s window covers to be opened for the first time, and finished exterior work on Tranquility and the relocated docking port.
As he opened the window covers one by one, Virts became the first crew member to take in the breathtaking view that the cupola now provides, with Patrick and Behnken on the outside looking in. The observation dome’s seven windows facing Earth will greatly improve views for robotic and docking activities at the station, as well as provide scientific observations of Earth and celestial bodies.
As part of cupola’s dedication ceremony, a moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission was placed inside. The same rock was carried to the summit of Mount Everest by astronaut Scott Parazynski.
The crew members took time to receive a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama near the end of Endeavour’s time docked to the station. The president was accompanied at the White House by a dozen middle school students from across the country who were in the nation’s capital for an engineering competition.
