Seven astronauts aboard Discovery said goodbye to their comrades aboard the International Space Station in a tear-jerking ceremony Sunday, following 11 days of hectic remodeling work.
Just before astronauts sealed hatches between Discovery and the ISS today around 3:25 p.m. EST (2025 GMT), the two crews cried and exchanged zero-gravity hugs to the music of Collective Soul's "Reunion."
Discovery Commander Pamela Melroy (L) watches as European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli of Italy points to a model of the Harmony module as he talks to members of the European Space Agency in this image from NASA TV November 4, 2007.The most tears came from Clayton Anderson, who is headed home after five months in orbit, and Daniel Tani, who is starting a two-month mission. Anderson was so choked up that he had to pause a few times while talking.
"As my time draws to a close here, I'm filled with a lot of different emotions and I have a lot of blood, sweat and tears that I've left on board the international space station. It's a very wonderful place," Anderson said.
"Our crews have matched so well," said shuttle commander Pamela Melroy, who made history by being one of the first two female commanders in space with ISS commander Peggy Whitson. "There's been a lot of laughter, a lot of fun and a lot of hard work during the past few docked days. We're family now."
Mission Control at Johnson Space Center also took some time to thank the astronauts before the door between the spacecraft closed.
"It was an honor and a privilege to watch you guys do your work," said Derek Hassman, ISS lead flight director. "What an unbelievably successful mission."
On Saturday, astronauts Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock finished the mission's final and riskiest spacewalk to repair a ripped solar wing. What made the spacewalk so risky was that the partially-deployed panel was still generating high voltage electricity.
The shuttle's lead flight director, Rick LaBrode, said he was still amazed at what was accomplished Saturday.
"You can imagine that the crew and the ground teams are really on a major high," he said. "It was definitely really something special."
After pulling away Monday morning, the shuttle will fly a full lap around the station, primarily for picture-taking. Its 15-day mission will end with a Wednesday touchdown.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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