Sunita Williams despediu-se da ISS, onde permaneceu cerca de 6 meses, à medida que os astronautas do Space Shuttle Atlantis saíam da estação espacial, para se prepararem para o seu regresso à Terra.Os problemas com os computadores de bordo parecem resolvidos - embora talvez seja ainda cedo para tirar conclusões definitivas. De qualquer forma seria impossível à Atlantis permanecer muito mais tempo atracada à ISS, devido à quantidade limitada de combustíveis e oxigénio que possui a bordo.
A despedida de Sunita - 'Sunni' para os amigos - foi algo sentimental, mas só ficou bem, porque esta gente vive mesmo para este sonho - o sonho de aprender a viver e a trabalhar no espaço. Um sonho que é essencial à sobrevivência da Espécie Humana. E passar 6 meses a bordo da mais avançada construção alguma vez realizada pela nossa espécie é, certamente, a experiência de uma vida. Uma experiência que, quase de certeza, não se repetirá para Sunita Williams.
Sunita Williams é agora a mulher com a mais longa permanência no espaço!
O Space Shuttle Atlantis deverá aterrar na quinta-feira, por volta das 6:54, hora de Lisboa.
Fonte: Email da CBS Space News
Link: mp3 da despedida de Sunita Williams da ISS (com várias interrupções, como seria de esperar)
10:15 AM, 6/18/07, Update: Williams bids tearful farewell to station
In her final daily planning conference with space station controllers in the United States and Russia, astronaut Sunita Williams, now the world's most experienced female space flier, bid a tearful farewell to her Russian crewmates, her American replacement - Clay Anderson - and the laboratory she's called home since last December.
"Houston, Moscow and Huntsville on (channel) 2, we're going to start the DPC a little bit early because I'm going to start it, Clay's going to finish it, or Clay, Fyodor (Yurchikhin) and Oleg (Kotov) are going to finish it without me," Williams radioed.
"Exploration isn't necessary or always logical," she said in a halting voice. "It's something that comes from inside each and every one of us. I believe we're all born with this curiosity called exploration. Human spaceflight is just one aspect of exploration, but it's the one that I've been intimately familiar with over the past six months.
"So I feel I can talk to how it affects thousands of people around the world who have worked on and still work on this amazing engineering and science project we call the international space station. These folks, along with their families, have dedicated their lives to ensure the success of the astronauts and cosmonauts (audio cutout) curiosity called exploration for the next generation.
"I'm saddened to say goodbye, but that means progress is being made and it's time for the international space station to grow a little more," Williams said, struggling to contain her emotions. "You and the ISS will always be a part of me as you are part of so many who will pave the way for our future."
She then beamed down a recording of James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover:"
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