New Station Cupola Opens Eyes On The World

The Endeavour astronauts got seven quick peaks through the International Space Station's new "window on the world," a dome-shaped Italian observation deck hauled by to the outpost along with the U.S. Tranquility module.

With spacewalkers Bob Benhken and Nicholas Patrick 10 feet away, Endeavour pilot Terry Virts turned a knob within the newly delivered Cupola module, opening the shutter on a 31-inch round window that is the largest ever flown in space.

"I see it opening," Patrick said.

"Well, as expected, the view through Window No. 7 is absolutely spectacular. It's expected to be the largest window onboard, and when we have the others around it open, it will give us a view of the entire globe," said station commander Jeffrey Williams. "Absolutely spectacular."

Virts then closed the shutter and proceeded to test, one at a time, the other six windows that ring the dome-shaped module. Each of those is shaped like a trapezoid.

The grand opening of the windows was performed to make certain the Cupola's shutters would work as intended. The sequence followed spacewalking work to remove thermal insulation panels and launch locks that protected the windows during their delivery to the station.

Behnken and Patrick now are off installing handrails outside the the Tranquility module -- hardware that will assist future spacewalking maintenance workers.

The astronauts also intend to route power cables to the station's Video Signal Converter and perform other sundry tasks before heading back to the station's U.S. Quest airlock.