Shuttle heads home from space station

The shuttle Endeavour left the International Space Station and headed home yesterday, leaving behind a nearly-complete outpost with the best ever windows on the world.

The shuttle undocked as the two craft soared more than 322 km above the Atlantic, just west of Africa's Western Sahara. The two crews spent 10 days together, working to install a new room, called Tranquility, and a domed observation deck the likes of which had never been seen before in orbit.

The compartments represented the last of the space station's major building blocks.

Mission Control told the six shuttle astronauts that they had had "an absolutely awesome mission" but now it was time to say "goodbye station, hello, Earth!"

The shuttle is due to touch down early tomorrow morning British time, in Florida.

"It's been good having you. Sorry to see you guys leave," space station resident Timothy 'TJ' Creamer called out as Endeavour backed away.

"We're sorry to go," replied shuttle commander George Zamka. "Hope you get to enjoy Tranquility and the new view."

The seven windows in the space station's new lookout were shuttered before Endeavour's departure, to protect against thruster contamination.

The shuttle astronauts took one last long look out those windows before retreating into their ship to prepare for the undocking.

Endeavour then took a slow lap around the orbiting complex for picture-taking.

"God speed guys," radioed the space station's skipper, Jeffrey Williams.

Later yesterday the shuttle astronauts inspected their ship for any signs of micrometeorite damage that might jeopardise re-entry.

Thanks to Endeavour and its crew, the space station is now 98 per cent complete, with a mass of 362,880 kg. The two new compartments - worth more than £258 million - were supplied by the European Space Agency.

Tranquility arrived empty but yesterday it was already full of exercise and life-support equipment as well as a toilet.

The station's water-recycling system - for converting astronauts' urine into drinking water - apparently sprang a leak after it was moved into Tranquility a few days ago.

Only four shuttle flights remain. Discovery is up next; it will carry up more supplies and science experiments in early April.

Nasa intends to wrap up what little space station assembly is left this year. It will coincide with the retirement of the three remaining shuttles.