The shuttle Discovery undocked from the international space station early today, wrapping up a successful repair and resupply mission. With pilot James Kelly at the controls, Discovery pulled away directly in front of the lab complex and then flew a loop around the station for a spectacular photo survey.

Discovery flies above the station following undocking. Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now

In what may be the most stunning video ever shot of the lab complex, Discovery's cameras captured the station flying serenely against the backdrop of central Asia like some great bird, its huge solar arrays stretching across the scene like wings as the snow-capped Himalayas came into view below the limb of the Earth.

Earlier, in a brief farewell ceremony inside the station's Destiny lab module, shuttle commander Eileen Collins thanked the station's two-man crew "for being such great hosts."

"We thank them for being part of such a successful mission," she said of station commander Sergei Krikalev and flight engineer John Phillips. "We're so happy to have spent the time up here with them. ... And with that, we're going to say a short goodbye and do a fly around of their space station and get them some great pictures and do a photo survey and add some final memories."


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Krikalev thanked the shuttle astronauts in turn along with ground support crews, saying "it's really a big event for us because we were waiting for this flight for several years, more than three years already. And fortunately, everything goes smooth. We want to say thank you and wish you a good, soft landing."

Phillips then took the microphone for a final word: "Thank you so much for being wonderful guests, it's really been a pleasure. And no, we're not glad to see you go. We'd love to have you stay a little longer. As Sergei says, have a great flight and a soft landing. We look forward to seeing you back in Houston."

The two crews exchanged hugs and handshakes before the shuttle astronauts floated out of the station and hatches between the two craft were sealed. Undocking occurred at 3:24 a.m. EDT (0724 GMT) as the spacecraft sailed more than 220 miles above the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

Kelly guided Discovery to a point 400 feet directly in front of the space station before beginning a slow loop around the outpost at 3:51 a.m., flying over the top of the lab then directly behind and below it before departing the area after a full lap.

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