Space station's new windows facing world

The International Space Station's new windows on the world are fastened to ther permanent home, looking down toward Earth from the Tranquility module.

The station's robotic arm connected a dome-shaped observation deck called Cupola to its new port at 1:25 a.m. EST Monday, completing a short move from the module's end.

Once contact was made, procedures began to close four latches and drive the 16 bolts that will secure the station's grip on the cupola.

The Italian-built cupola's relocation got off to a late start after its depressurization took longer than expected and a series of bolts jammed, keeping it stuck in place.

Engineers solve those glitches with a series of new computer commands, and the relocation was finished about two hours later than planned.

Endeavour mission specialists Kay Hire and pilot Terry Virts teamed with station commander Jeff Williams to oversee the move from inside the station's Destiny lab.

As the robotic crane arm pulled the cupola away, it looked as if the station was doffing its hat to the planet.

When its debris-shielding shutters are opened, the Italian-built cupola will serve as a robotics work station and offer astronauts panoramic views of space.

More outfitting of the cupola is planned tonight, ahead of spacewalking work to remove thremal covers and unlock the shutters now covering seven windows.

The aluminum cupola weighed weighed 1.6 tons at launch and measures 6.5 feet in diameter and 4.8 feet high. Its top window is the largest ever flown in space.

One more robotic operation is planned this morning before the shuttle and station crews go to sleep around 8 a.m.

Around 5 a.m., Endeavour mission specialists Bob Behnken and Nick Patrick are scheduled to use the station arm to grapple a docking mechanism -- Pressurized Mating Adapter No. 3 -- that they'll relocate later tonight.

It will take over the Tranquility port just vacated by the cupola, providing extra protection from space junk and micrometeriods.