Far out: The amazing images from the Space Shuttle's seven-day stint at the International Space Station


Tomorrow the Space Shuttle Atlantis is due to touch down on Earth after a successful seven-day mission to deliver vital equipment to the International Space Station.

During the past week as astronauts stockpiled the outpost and performed maintenance a series of stunning images were taken which we reveal here.



Previously when images were released by Nasa they were soon after the event but still very fuzzy. It is only on recent missions that images of this quality of image were released almost as soon as they had happened. They are testament to the rapid advances in technology available to both the public and space scientists.



This stunning image shows the Sun greeting the International Space Station as seen from the Russian section of the orbital outpost. It was taken , photographed by one of the Space Shuttle crew

Space Shuttle astronaut Robert L. Satcher Jr., uses a digital still camera to take a picture of his helmet visor during mission's first mission outside the space station. Also visible in the reflections are various components of the station and astronaut Mike Foreman (upside down, top centre of picture)

The Space Shuttle, left, shortly after it cast off to head home and (right) its view of the Space Station, looking back, as it drifts away. These slightly muzzy images used to be as good as images from space would get



The U.S. is retiring its three-ship shuttle fleet in 2010 after five more missions to complete construction and outfitting of the £59billion space station.

The shuttle departed at 9pm GMT two days ago as the spacecraft soared nearly 220 miles above the Pacific, just north-east of New Guinea.

Atlantis is scheduled to land tomorrow morning at Nasa's spaceport in Florida

On board Atlantis is one astronaut eager to hold his newborn daughter for the first time and another who's been away from her young son since the summer.

Sun set in space: The thin line of Earth's atmosphere is illuminated as the sun sinks behind the planet

Astronaut Nicole Stott, on her way home after three months in orbit, said goodbye to the five colleagues she left behind on the space station.

'It was a real pleasure working with you guys," she radioed. "I was blessed with a wonderful crew, and I look forward to seeing you guys on the ground real soon.'

Today marks the 89th day in space for Ms Stott, a 47-year-old engineer. She flew to the space station at the end of August. She said she can't wait to see her husband and seven-year-old son, and to have a pizza.

Spaceman Randolph Bresnik is also eager to get back. His wife gave birth to their second child, Abigail Mae Bresnik, on Saturday - shortly after his first spacewalk.

The shuttle astronauts had to take one final survey of the wings and nose of their ship using a 100ft, laser-tipped inspection boom before they headed off.



They need to make sure the vulnerable thermal shielding was not damaged by micrometeorites over the past week.

Atlantis' cargo bay - brimming with big spare parts when it arrived at the space station last Wednesday - was empty.

Astronaut Robert L. Satcher Jr. works outside the International Space Station as he participates in Atlantis' first spacewalk during the maintenance mission

This image from the Space Station looks down over the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the docked space shuttle Atlantis, with Earth's horizon forming the background

Tools in hand, astronaut Randy Bresnik works on the exterior of the Columbus module of the International Space Station during the Atlantis crew's second spacewalk

The astronauts installed some of the equipment during three spacewalks and performed other work to keep the station operating long after the retirement of Nasa's three shuttles next fall.

The next shuttle visit, by Endeavour, is in February.

The space station, a project of 16 nations, then will be serviced by Russian, European and Japanese cargo ships, though none can transport the heavy pumps, tanks and gyroscopes carried by the shuttle.

Astronauts will fly exclusively on Russian Soyuz capsules at a cost of about £30million a seat.

The U.S. has been developing a replacement for the space shuttles, but it is not expected to unveil it until 2015 at the earliest.



An advisory panel tapped by the Obama administration to assess Nasa's human space programs determined the new spaceship won't be ready until 2017.

In addition to flying to the station, which currently is funded only through 2015, the new ships are being designed to fly astronauts to the moon and other destinations in the solar system. The programme, however, is under review.

During Atlantis' mission, astronauts conducted three spacewalks to install antennas, science experiments, cargo mounts and other tasks.



They are returning with the station's broken urine-recycling system, which purifies wastewater into potable water.

Also returning to Earth are six mice that have been aboard the station since late August for science experiments. Three of the mice died while in space, though scientists are not sure why.



Astronaut Robert L. Satcher Jr (left) works Space Station during the Atlantis' first spacewalk of the mission. Anchored to a mobile foot restraint, the same astronaut during another part of the six hour 37 minute spacewalk. He and fellow astronaut carried out various maintenance projects including installed a set of cables for a future space-to-ground antenna and replaced a handrail

This image was taken by a crew member on the International Space Station shortly after the Shuttle undocked. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 3:53 a.m. (Central Daylight Time). This is six hours behind GMT. The area of Earth below is unspecified



