By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA’s orbiting astronauts said Thursday that the views out the International Space Station’s new observation deck are simply stunning and take their breath away.
The 11 space fliers teamed up over the past week to install the domed, seven-windowed lookout and the new room, Tranquility, the last of the major space station building blocks. They finished some last-minute packing late Thursday, then got ready to seal the hatches between the two craft early Friday after more than a week of work.
Space shuttle Endeavour will undock from the space station Friday night.
The two shuttle astronauts who swung open the window shutters on the observation deck Wednesday were rendered almost speechless when they gazed down at Earth 220 miles below.
“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 in a news conference. “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.”
“It took my breath away,” added pilot Terry Virts. He said he’s been too busy to spend too much time in the lookout, but has particularly enjoyed watching sunrises.
“When the sun pops up, it’s like getting instantaneous floodlight in your eyes. It kind of overwhelms you,” Virts said. “You can sit there and stand up and actually with your eyes, at least perceive the entire Earth limb, and you can really see that the Earth is that round shape.”
Astronaut Robert Behnken said the view through those seven windows is comparable if not better than what he saw during his three spacewalks. And you can’t beat sharing the view with friends, he noted.
“If we had beer up here, it would make the best pub in the world,” English-born astronaut Nicholas Patrick said in response to a reporter’s question.
Endeavour delivered the Italian-built Tranquility and lookout last week, a more than $400 million addition that brought the space station to 98 percent of completion.
Mission Control congratulated the astronauts Thursday for “a docked mission of Olympic proportions.”
“You are officially the only folks who are able to get more hang time than Shaun White,” Mission Control noted in a message.
Speaking of the Olympics, the five space station astronauts have been keeping on top of the results. The orbiting outpost finally got Internet access last month.
“The distance has become closer,” said Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. “I can access the Olympic results just like you on Earth.”
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On the Net:
NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission(underscore)pages/shuttle/main/index.html