CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Shuttle Atlantis departed the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday following an emotional goodbye that the crew shared with the world.
Two hours before the spaceplane undocked with the orbiting outpost at 9:13 a.m. EDT (1413 GMT), the nine humans gathered in the Destiny science module to offer each other words of farewell and warm embraces. Most of the crew could be seen dabbing tears from their eyes.
They have spent the past week working together to install and outfit the new S-One truss, a 15-ton girder assembly packed with three radiator panels that will help keep the station cool in the future when additional science modules are added.
In a welcome gesture of openness, the joined shuttle and station crews kept a microphone on to share the audio with the video beamed down to Earth and broadcast live on NASA TV.
As the six STS-112 shuttle crewmembers and three Expedition Five crewmembers hugged each other and shook hands, they could be heard telling each other "Take it easy," "Good luck," "It was wonderful seeing you" and "Thank you so much."
Especially touching was the scene of Atlantis mission specialist Sandy Magnus and station science officer Peggy Whitson hugging and saying goodbye. The pair, along with spacewalker Piers Sellers, had spent much time together in Moscow helping support astronaut training there and they've become close friends.
"It's going to be difficult to tear the two of them apart," Atlantis pilot Pam Melroy said to station commander Valery Korzun."I didn't know it was going to be so hard (to say goodbye)," Magnus said, wiping her eyes.
Korzun, with a big smile and waving at his departing colleagues, said "I hope we will see you after six months on the ground."
With that the crews floated to their respective spaceships. Korzun and Atlantis commander Jeff Ashby shook hands a final time and the hatches were closed by 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT).
About 90 minutes later Mission Control in Houston gave the shuttle crew a formal "go for undocking," and as Ashby acknowledged the call, Melroy could be heard in the background shouting "We want to stay, we want to stay."
Precisely on schedule, as the ISS flew 245 miles above the Russian-Ukrainian border, springs initially pushed the shuttle away from the station and then Melroy fired thrusters to continue the separation.
"Atlantis departing," said station science officer Peggy Whitson as she rang the ship's bell from within the Unity node.
Melroy then maneuvered the shuttle to about 450 feet in front of the station.
At that point Melroy began a fly-around of the station so Atlantis crew members could take pictures of the station's new look, while also giving Melroy practice flying the shuttle -- training she will put to good use when assigned to command her own mission some day.
"Peggy, it's hard to describe how great the station looks right now," Ashby called on the radio from Atlantis.
"Well you guys look pretty small right now," Whitson replied.
"You guys look absolutely huge. The station is huge," Melroy said.
At 11:01 a.m. EDT (1501 GMT), Melroy fired Atlantis' thrusters to take the shuttle completely clear of the station and set up the spaceplane for a return to Earth on Friday.
The early weather outlook at the Kennedy Space Center is favorable, but if the sky doesn't cooperate Atlantis has enough supplies remaining on board to keep the crew in space until next Tuesday, officials said.
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