Toilet, Treadmill, Notes Left for Astronauts

S P A C E   C E N T E R, Houston, Sept. 18 -- Space shuttle Atlantis rocketedaway from the international space station today, leaving thecosmic outpost fully stocked and freshly outfitted for its firstinhabitants.

The spacecraft separated some 240 miles above Russia, a fewminutes late because of minor computer trouble. Afterward, pilotScott Altman flew Atlantis around the station twice while hiscrewmates took pictures and videotape of the shining outpost.

“Watching the sunrise and sunset, and the way it illuminatedthe solar arrays on the service module was just phenomenal. Itsparkled like a jewel out there against the blue background of theoceans. A very, very beautiful sight for us,” Altman said.

‘Red Carpet Treatment’

The craft flew together for eight days, during which Atlantis’seven-man crew completed all of their assigned tasks and even someplanned for later missions.

“This crew has certainly laid out the red carpet for the firstcrew to come aboard the international space station,” spacestation deputy manager Robert Cabana said. “I think theyaccomplished everything we asked them to do, everything we wishedthey could do, and I think about everything we dreamed that theycould do.”

During their five days inside, the shuttle astronauts outfittedthe station with five new batteries, a toilet, oxygen generator andtreadmill in the new Russian-built service module Zvezda. During aspacewalk a week ago, they hooked up power, data and TV cables.They also stocked the cabinets with more than 6,000 pounds of food,clothes, toiletries, ear plugs, office supplies, trash bags, vacuumcleaners and other gear.

All of that will be waiting when the first station crew arrivesfor a four-month stay, scheduled to begin Nov. 1. Shuttle Cmdr.Terrence Wilcutt said astronaut Bill Shepherd, who will lead a crewof two cosmonauts, won’t have any trouble making his home insideZvezda.

“It seemed like a new house, which is exactly what it was. It’sready to go. We tidied it up, left him a couple of notes and Ithink it’s ready for him to move into,” Wilcutt said.