First Stunning Pictures from the Space Station's Room with the Ultimate View

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | February 18, 2010

[Cecily]

Looking out through the brand new observation deck on the International Space Station, this is one room with a helluva view. The vast Sahara Desert can be seen in impressive detail through the array of seven windows more than 200miles above Earth. The windows were opened one by one yesterday, after British-born astronaut Nicholas Patrick and American Robert Behnken removed the launch restraint bolts from each of the seven windows during the third and final spacewalk of the shuttle Endeavour's mission. They tested that each of the shutters worked as these will be needed to protect them from passing space debris, which is an ever-increasing hazard in near-Earth orbit.

[Cecily]

[Steely Tom]

The Italians have always been very good at putting pretty things in frames.

[InvisibleChurch]

I like the white space-age burka.

[onedoug]

Good job, guys.

[freedumb2003]

.10 Forward

Thank God we know that Whoopie will never be there, dispensing platitudes and bad jokes.

[maddog55]

Love to be there myself... and if I didn’t come back, that’d be ok too! Always told the wife if a UFO lands and they’ll take me.. I’m outta here !!

[Star Traveler]

The first picture taken through the space station's new Cupola shows
the vast Sahara desert 200 miles below


The coast of Algeria featuring an area between the cities of Dellys and Algiers.
The image was recorded with a digital still camera through the new panoramic window

[TSgt]

I want to know if they see the flags that U.S. astronauts planted on Mars from there? Otherwise this is a waste of taxpayer money that could have funded more head-start programs!

[Vendome]

I need one of those!

[Right Wing Assault]

I want to know if they see the flags that U.S. astronauts planted on Mars from there?

No, but they can see Russia from their new front porch.

[Star Traveler]

[AFreeBird]

The space walker still has the best seat in the house. That’s gotta be unreal floating out there like that.

[dr_who]

Kewl. I'd buy that for 20 million...or more...if I had 20 million to burn...and come to think of it, not many people do.

Seriously, must be a nice view, but is that what we spent all that money for? Unmanned satellites routinely take pictures of the earth without the help of any astronauts.

[TSgt]

http://www.zimbio.com/Congresswoman+Sheila+Jackson+Lee/articles/31/Breaking+News+Exhaustive+Search+NASA+Archives

“The Congressional bonehead award goes to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) who, on a visit to JPL, asked if Mars Pathfinder had taken an image of the flag planted there in 1969 by Neil Armstrong! Quipped Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) to the Washington Times: “We just don’t teach enough science.” Worse, Jackson Lee, who represents Houston, is a member of the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee. Perhaps some committee reassignments are in order…”

[Star Traveler]

The International Space Station from Above
May 16, 2006

[dr_who]

“That’s funny the damage doesn’t look as bad from out here.”

Bleep-blurp!

"Are you sure this thing is safe?"

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

The space walker still has the best seat in the house. That’s gotta be unreal floating out there like that.

It would be cool, until HAL wouldn't let you back in again... LOL...

[BlueLancer]

That's not a space station ...

THIS is a space station!

[Star Traveler]

HAL says...

Dave, I can't let you jeopardize this mission.
I'm sorry, I can't let you back in!

[Star Traveler]

Darned hot-link blocker... :-)