Shuttle Departs Space Station

Feb. 16 -- Space shuttle Atlantis and itsastronauts left the international space station today afterspending the week installing the $1.4 billion science laboratoryDestiny.

Pilot Mark Polansky eased the shuttle away from the spacestation as the two spacecraft soared 236 miles above the WesternPacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. That was almost the sameposition where the two spacecraft linked up last Friday.

Before departing, Atlantis said farewell to space station Alphacommander Bill Shepherd and his two Russian crewmates.

"Good job. Wish our best to Shep and company," Mission Controltold the shuttle crew before the hatches between the two spacecraftwere closed.

For the Alpha crew, it was the second time they said farewell toa visiting shuttle crew. Space shuttle Endeavour went to the spacestation in early December.

"I guess the hardest part is just seeing crews depart withoutreally having a lot of time to socialize," Shepherd said. "We dida little bit of yakking [Wednesday] night. It was very good."

Taking Out the Trash The crews of Atlantis and Alpha spent their last full daytogether Thursday, finishing the transfer of supplies between thetwo spacecraft.

The crews transferred a total of 3,000 pounds ofequipment and supplies to the station from Atlantis, includingwater, food, spare parts, a spare carbon dioxide-removal unit, aspare computer, clothes and DVDs. Atlantis will be taking about 850pounds of trash from Alpha, including used batteries, packingmaterials and empty food containers, back home.

Atlantis is scheduled to return to Earth on Sunday. The spacestation's crew members — who have been aboard Alpha since earlyNovember — are to return to Earth in March aboard space shuttleDiscovery.

Atlantis will leave behind Destiny, the most expensive andintricate piece of the space station, which is needed before anymajor research can be performed.

Space shuttle commander Kenneth Cockrell said he and his crewwere pleasantly surprised the lab's installation went as well as itdid.