Astronauts unveil phenomenal new window on earth and space

IN a highly anticipated grand finale to their mission, astronauts opened the shutters on the International Space Station’s new observation deck yesterday and were humbled by “absolutely spectacular” views of Earth from inside the elaborate atrium of windows.

The $27 million (€20m) lookout opened each of its seven eyes one window at a time as the crews of the station and shuttle Endeavour carried out their third and final spacewalk.

It was the moment everyone had been waiting for: The round central window — the largest ever flown in space — was the first exposed as astronauts cranked open the shutter as they sailed 350km above the South Pacific.