Down to Earth

With the flick of a switch that released the snares holding them together, space shuttle Endeavour separated from the 77-foot, 31,700-kg station and, with Pilot Rick Sturckow at the controls, slowly backed away. Flight controllers in Houston and Moscow monitored the 394-km-high action. The undocking, similar to those between space shuttles and Mir, occurred over Russian ground stations.

The winged, cylindrical station glistened in the sunlight as the shuttle circled from a distance of 450 feet for a final photo survey. Once that was done, Sturckow fired Endeavour8217;sthrusters and the shuttle pulled away for good.

The astronauts could still see the station from more than eight miles out and excitedly beamed down pictures. quot;It8217;s the brightest new star on the horizon,quot; Cabana said as the station grew smaller and smaller, its two components resembling the head and body of a snowman lying sideways. With Endeavour8217;s flawless departure, NASA8217;s lead flight director, Bob Castle, was finally ready to declare the assembly part of the 12-day mission a success.

quot;I8217;m very, very, very gratified,quot; Castle said.