Posts Tagged astronauts

One of the things delivered to the International Space Station this trip is the Cupola, a seven-windowed dome giving the residents a 360° view. Above, removing launch restraint bolts from the Cupola’s windows:

ISS022-E-066884 (17 Feb. 2010) — NASA astronaut Nicholas Patrick, STS-130 mission specialist, participates in the mission’s third and final session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the five-hour, 48-minute spacewalk, Patrick and astronaut Robert Behnken (out of frame), mission specialist, completed all of their planned tasks, removing insulation blankets and removing launch restraint bolts from each of the Cupola’s seven windows.

Below, moving it from place to place with the robotic arm (it’s in the middle of the picture, still covered with insulation blankets):

In the grasp of the Canadarm2, the cupola was relocated from the forward port to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s newly installed Tranquility node. The cupola is a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center that will provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecrafts. With the installation of Tranquility and cupola, the space station is about 90 percent complete.

Image Credit: NASA

And here is the final result, courtesy of astronaut Noguchi Soichi:

“Let there be light! Cupola windows open toward Sahara desert. Priceless!”

EDIT: And here’s a hi-res NASA image taken just after, can see the Sahara better — but Soichi was FIRST. ;)

ISS022-E-066972 (17 Feb. 2010) — This image is the first taken through a first of its kind “bay window” on the International Space Station, the seven-windowed Cupola. The image shows the Sahara Desert spread out through the array of windows. The Cupola will house controls for the station robotics and will be a location where crew members can operate the robotic arms and monitor other exterior activities.