Cumbrian Sky

Earlier today the space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station, having successfully delivered and fitted the European COLUMBUS module last week. Atlantis is now preparing for landing, ending an extremely successful mission.

NASA TV covered the departure live, and as I watched it on the tiny RealPlayer window on my screen I found it strangely moving, seeing the shuttle drifting away from the space station, the two spacecraft gradually moving farther and farther apart... and as I watched the coverage of the space station drifting in front of the blue and white Earth, her solar wings gleaming silver and gold in the sunlight, I crossed my fingers that astronauts onboard Atlantis were taking decent photos of the station through the shuttle's windows, cos the station looked just beautiful...

I've said it before but will say it again. Space Station has its detractors - ok, enemies, people who hate it with a passion - but look at that... WE made that, people, evolved monkeys... that's the most complicated thing ever built by mankind, nothing less than a beach-head for exploring the solar system and the stars beyond...

And if that hasn't moved you, well, maybe this pic of Atlantis gliding above a familiar country will...

Hurry home Atlantis. And land safely.

Note: for all the shuttle news you could ever want, keep an eye on this news feed... Don't say I never give you anything!

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• #1 Comment from memes121 
  2/18/08 4:19 PM | Permalink

  See, there is a God! Tammy