In this photo provided by NASA, inside Kibo or the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), astronaut Mark Polansky, left, STS-127 commander, shakes hands with Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, who has been onboard the international space station for a tour of duty as flight engineer but will be returning to Earth with Polansky and the rest of the STS-127 crew next week, Thursday, July 23, 2009. Source: AP
CAPE CANAVERAL:The astronauts in orbit, all 13 of them, are enjoying their first day off in more than a week after a series of grueling spacewalks.
Mission Control told the combined crews of the international space station and shuttle Endeavour to enjoy some well-deserved time off Saturday. Mission Control told the astronauts "you can’t stop to smell the roses" at orbital speed. "But you can savor the view from the best seats in the house."
The astronauts wrapped up their fourth spacewalk Friday, completing critical battery changes at the space station. One more spacewalk is planned for Monday to perform some more station work.
Endeavour and its crew of seven will leave the space station Tuesday and return to Earth at the end of the week. The shuttle blasted into orbit July 15.
