This view of the International Space Station over a blue and white Earth was taken shortly after the Space Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the orbital outpost on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006. The unlinking completed six days of joint operations with the station crew.
This view of the International Space Station over a blue and white Earth was taken shortly after the space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the orbital outpost on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006. The unlinking completed six days of joint operations with the station crew. During the mission, the Atlantis crew installed a second pair of 240-foot solar wings, attached to a new 17.5-ton section of truss with batteries, electronics and a giant rotating joint. The new solar arrays eventually will double the station’s onboard power when their electrical systems are brought online during the next shuttle flight, planned for launch in December 2006.Image credit: NASA