Astronauts Get a View

Feb. 17, 2010 -- In a highly anticipated grand finale to their mission, astronauts opened the shutters on the International Space Station's new observation deck Wednesday and were humbled by "absolutely spectacular" views of Earth from inside the elaborate atrium of windows.

The $27 million lookout opened each of its seven eyes one window at a time as the crews of the station and shuttle Endeavour carried out their third and final spacewalk.

It was the moment everyone had been waiting for: The round central window -- the largest ever flown in space -- was the first exposed as astronauts inside cranked open the shutter as they sailed 220 miles above the South Pacific.

"As expected, the view through window seven is absolutely spectacular," space station commander Jeffrey Williams said. "When we have the others around it open, it will give us a view of the entire globe. Absolutely incredible."

The observation deck is part of Tranquility, a more than $380 million addition. Space Shuttle Endeavour delivered the European compartments last week.

The Italian-built dome -- 5 feet tall and nearly 10 feet in diameter -- is designed to offer sweeping 360-degree views of the home planet and outer space, as well as the space station itself. It's not just for the crew's viewing pleasure; a robotic work station will soon be installed, providing direct views for astronauts when they operate the station's big mechanical arm.

During normal operations, the space station crew will be able to keep the round window unshuttered most of the time, along with a couple others. But the windows facing along the direction the outpost is orbiting will need to be closed, except during robotic operations, to protect the fused silica glass against micrometeorite strikes. Each window has four panes.

Text by Associated Press

Image: Astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard the International Space Station posted this image via Twitter showing the Sahara Desert, the first view out of the station's new windows early Wednesday morning Feb. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/NASA via Twitter)