Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 Discovery departs space station POSTED: 5:29 p.m. EST, December 19, 2006 Story Highlights • NEW: Discovery undocks from space station after eight-day visit • Astronaut Suni Williams will stay at the lab for six months • Spacewalkers fix stuck solar wing • Discovery to return to Earth on Friday HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- The space shuttle Discovery bade the international space station a goodbye as the two ships parted ways Tuesday evening. Discovery leaves behind American Suni Williams for a six-month stay in orbit. The shuttle is scheduled to return to Earth on Friday after a 13-day flight. During eight days at the orbiting lab, Discovery's astronauts made four spacewalks. They rewired the station's power system, installed a 2-ton addition, and coaxed a stubborn solar panel to fold up accordion-style into its box. " It's always a goal to try and leave some place in a better shape than it was when you came, " said Discovery commander Mark Polanksy. " And I think we've accomplished that. " The fourth spacewalk -- to fix the jammed solar panel -- was added at the last moment. That extended the mission by one day and put astronaut Robert Curbeam in the history books, with a record four spacewalks in a single shuttle mission. Williams, who arrived aboard Discovery, becomes the newest member of the three-person space station crew. Discovery is bringing home her predecessor, German astronaut Thomas Reiter, who spent six months in orbit. During the farewell ceremony before the two crews parted, Williams playfully nudged Reiter into the shuttle using her floating foot. American space station crewman Michael Lopez-Alegria saluted the departing Reiter for his " competence, conscientiousness and consistency " and pronounced him a " model astronaut. " " By the authority vested in me, which I just invented, we would like to make you an honorary member of the NASA astronaut corps, " Lopez-Alegria said, pinning wings onto Reiter's polo shirt. http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/19/space.shuttle.ap/index.html satva Jorge Angelino Rua da Sociedade Filarmónica Perpétua Azeitonense, 29 2925-598 Azeitão Portugal jorge.angelino mobile: Skype ID: +351963916784 jorge_angelino Add me to your address book... Want a signature like this? -- Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.25/593 - Release 19.12.2006 13:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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