Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Endeavour Heads Home

Crews say farewell as space shuttle undocks from ISS

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 25, 2008 3:39 AM CDT

(Newser) – The space shuttle Endeavour has begun its two-day trip back to Earth after successfully undocking yesterday from the international space station, reports the Houston Chronicle. The seven astronauts on board hailed an "awesome" mission and said fond farewells to their colleagues staying behind. A glitch unlatching a solar panel delayed Endeavour's retreat from the station.

After finally departing, the shuttle slowly looped around the 220-mile-high outpost for some final photographs. The shuttle's return to Earth, planned for just before twilight tomorrow night, will bring to an end the longest mission of its kind ever attempted. The station's next visitor will be an unmanned European cargo ship. A Russian spacecraft arrives next month and NASA returns with Discovery in May.

[Images (5)]

[Videos (1)]

In this image made from video, crew members from the space shuttle Endeavour and the international space station embrace and say farewell before undocking on Monday, March 24, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this image made from video, the space shuttle Endeavour undocks from the international space station on Monday, March 24, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Shuttle Endeavor undocks from Space Station. (AssociatedPress (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Endeavour Docks After New Damage Check

Shuttle docks without hitch but launch video shows possible bird hit

(NEWSER) - The Endeavour docked with the international space station without a glitch yesterday just after the shuttle was again examined for damage, AP reports. The craft did a full backflip before docking so every inch of it could be inspected. Launch videos first revealed that something may have hit the shuttle's nose seconds after lift off. More»

Endeavour Blasts Into Space

Shuttle will dock with space station tomorrow

(NEWSER) - The shuttle Endeavour thundered off its launch pad early this morning, carrying seven astronauts and two major pieces of hardware to the International Space Station. On board is a $1 billion science module that contains research gear for the station's lab, the first Japanese contribution to the orbital base, reports the Houston Chronicle. Also accompanying the astronauts is a 12-foot, spacewalking Canadian robot bearing the name Dextre. More»

NASA Eyes Endeavor Damage

Engineers say ice chunk hit shuttle's underbelly, could endanger re-entry

(NEWSER) - Endeavour's astronauts finished their first spacewalk today by installing a 2-ton beam on the back of the international space station, the AP reports. Meanwhile NASA engineers inspected troubling images of a gash in shuttle Endeavour’s heat shield caused, they believe, by an ice chunk that flew off the fuel tank. More»

Stinging Eye Almost Derails Spacewalk

Astronaut Andrew Feustel has an eye irritation ... 220 miles up

(AP) - Eyelash, space dust, tears … who knows what was, but an astronaut today got something in his eye that stung "like crazy"—and almost interrupted a spacewalk. Several minutes later, Andrew Feustel assured everyone his eye was feeling better and the third spacewalk of the Endeavour continued as planned. The incident came as the spacewalk hit the five-hour mark. Feustel and Mike Fincke had just finished running power cables from the US side of the orbiting house to the Russian half. Feustel managed to rub his eye against a strap in his helmet and said that helped. More»

Racing Bad Weather, Shuttle Endeavour Lands in Florida

Space shuttle safely wraps up mission after 2 weeks, 3 spacewalks

(NEWSER) - The first of the space shuttle program's final five missions ended without a hitch tonight as Endeavour landed at Cape Canaveral, beating bad weather forecast for the Florida coast. "Houston, it is great to be home," the mission commander said after returning from the International Space Station on the first shuttle mission of the year. "It was a great adventure." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Endeavour Heads Home