Astronauts Open New Station Cupola For 1st Time

A new Italian observation deck was opened for the first time on the International Space Station tonight as the joined crews of the outpost and shuttle Endeavour continued to prep the newly arrived U.S. Tranquility module for on-orbit operations.

Endeavour mission specialist Kay Hire and crewmates opened the hatch to the Italian-built Cupola at 11:32 p.m. as the joined shuttle-station complex flew 218 miles above the central Atlantic Ocean, tracking toward the east coast of the European continent.

It's going to be a quick in and out. The astronauts are doing some quick prep work for the planned relocation of the Cupola on Sunday.

Sporting seven windows, the domed-shaped Cupola now is on the axial end of the Tranquility module, which is equipped with six berthing ports. On Sunday, the Cupola will be moved to the nadir, or Earth-facing, port of Tranquility, where it will provide an unparalleled view of Earth.

A "room with a view," the Cupola also will serve as an air traffic control tower at the station, enabling astronauts to monitor the comings and goings of visiting spacecraft.

The Cupola also is equipped with a robotic work station that will enable station robot arm operators to actually eyeball what they are working on. The 57.5-foot Canadian arm now is controlled from a work station in the U.S. Destiny laboratory, which has no out-the-window view. Arm operators instead rely on camera views to carry out construction and maintenance work at the outpost.

You can watch the Cupola move, and all Endeavour mission operations, right here in The Flame Trench. Click the NASA TV box on the right side of the page to launch our NASA TV viewer and round-the-clock coverage of the Endeavour mission to the station.