CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Discovery and its crew left the international space station on Saturday and aimed for a homecoming in two days to wrap up one of the last missions of NASA’s shuttle program.
Residents of space station Alpha were “really, really sad” to see their friends go. “But it’s time,” said Oleg Kotov, the station’s Russian skipper.
“We enjoyed every minute of it,” shuttle commander Alan Poindexter said as Discovery backed away. “Thanks for the great hospitality.”
Discovery undocked as the two spacecraft soared 220 miles above New Guinea. Landing is scheduled for Monday morning.
A few hours earlier, the seven shuttle fliers and six station inhabitants wrapped one another in bear hugs before sealing the hatches between their spacecraft. Four of the 13 on this mission were women, including Coloradan Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, a world record. The Associated Press; AFP/Getty Images photo
