Concordiensis

Issue date: 2/18/10 Section: Sci/Tech

Media Credit: Courtesy of ESA The cupola, which includes seven windows and provides panoramic views of the Earth and celestial objects, also provides an observation and work area for the station's remote-controlled robotic arm.

In the early hours of Monday morning, astronauts aboard the International Space Station finished attaching a seven-window cupola during the mission's third and final spacewalk, finally removing the covers that shielded the windows during launch.

The cupola, attached to the Italian-built node Tranquility, will serve as a central command post for the station's robotics work, and will provide the space station crew with a stellar view - sweeping, panoramic 360-degree views of Earth, outer space and the space station herself.

The $27.2 million viewport includes six trapezoid-shaped windows arranged around a huge central round window, the largest window ever flown in space.

Endeavour shuttle astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick spent six-and-a-half hours removing the insulation from the cupola's seven windows and releasing the bolts that held the covers in place over the windows during launch, according to NASA.

Station astronaut Timothy T.J. Creamer has called it the "window of all windows."

Astronauts will now be able to unshutter and shutter the windows from inside the cupola, allowing crew members to close the windows for thermal protection and fortification against micrometeorites and debris.

"There's not a lot of debris out there, but it wouldn't take much for a small piece of debris coming through and damaging these windows," station flight director Bob Dempsey said.

Aside from working on the cupola's windows, the astronauts have continued the setup of the new Tranquility node, disconnecting temporary power cables and opening the second of two ammonia loops to allow coolant to flow through the node.

Endeavour is slated to depart the space station on Friday after a nine-day stay, with the shuttle and its crew returning to Earth Sunday night.

Back at the launch site, NASA has delayed the next space shuttle flight until April 5. Discovery had been scheduled to lift off in mid-March, but a string of unusually cold weather has stalled preparations. Only four more shuttle flights remain until the shuttle program is officially retired.

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