CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts closed out the last major construction mission at the International Space Station with a smooth landing in darkness that struck many as bittersweet. Only one flight remains for Endeavour, the baby of the shuttle fleet. Overall, just four missions remain.
During the two-week, 5.7 million-mile (9.2 million-kilometer) journey, commander George Zamka and his crew delivered and installed a new space station room, Tranquility, and a big bay window with commanding views of Earth. Their success resulted in the virtual completion of the space station, described by NASA as 98 percent finished. (18 images)
During the two-week, 5.7 million-mile (9.2 million-kilometer) journey, commander George Zamka and his crew delivered and installed a new space station room, Tranquility, and a big bay window with commanding views of Earth. Their success resulted in the virtual completion of the space station, described by NASA as 98 percent finished. (18 images)
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This image provided by NASA shows the silhouette of the space shuttle Endeavour in a very unique setting over Earth's colorful horizon photographed by an Expedition 22 crew member prior to STS-130 rendezvous and docking operations with the International Space Station Tuesday Feb. 9. AP / NASA
Guests watch from the terrace of the Operations Support Building II as space shuttle Endeavour launches from pad 39A on the STS-130 mission early Monday, Feb. 8, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. AP / NASA / Paul E. Alers
An orbital sunrise is featured in this image photographed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 22 flight engineer, from a window in the newly-installed Cupola of the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station Thursday Feb. 18. A Russian Progress spacecraft, docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment, is visible at right. AP / NASA
The space shuttle Endeavour intersects the thin line of Earth's atmosphere photographed by an crew member while Endeavour remains docked with the International Space Station Wednesday Feb. 17. AP / NASA
Astronaut Nicholas Patrick participates in extravehicular activity as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the spacewalk, Patrick and fellow astronaut Robert Behnken removed insulation blankets and launch restraint bolts from each of the Cupola's seven windows. AP / NASA
Astronaut Nicholas Patrick participates in the first session of extravehicular activity on Feb. 11, as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. AP / NASA
Astronaut Robert Behnken participates in the mission's second session of extravehicular activity as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station, Sunday, Feb. 14. AP / NASA
Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, a portion of the International Space Station is featured in this image provided by NASA and photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour was docked with the station Monday Feb. 15. AP / NASA
The Tranquility module is transferred from its stowage position in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay to its position on the port side of the Unity node of the International Space Station. AP / NASA
The Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecrafts, docked to the International Space Station Wednesday Feb. 17. AP / NASA
The view of the port side of space shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay is recorded with a digital still camera shortly after separation from the International Space Station, Saturday, Feb. 20. AP / NASA
A head-on view of space shuttle Endeavour's crew cabin, photographed by one of the Expedition 22 crew members aboard the International Space Station prior to docking with the International Space Station Tuesday, Feb. 9. AP / NASA
A partial view of the crew cabin and forward payload bay of the space shuttle Endeavour during a survey of the approaching vehicle prior to docking with the International Space Station Tuesday Feb. 9. AP / NASA
The Tranquility node in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay, vertical stabilizer, orbital maneuvering system pods and docking mechanism backdropped by mountainous terrain, photographed by an STS-130 crew member from an aft flight deck window Monday Feb. 9. AP / NASA
Nicholas Patrick, STS-130 mission specialist, is pictured in a window of the newly-installed Cupola of the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remained docked with the station on Thursday, Feb. 18. AP / NASA
An image taken through a first of its kind "bay window" on the International Space Station, the seven-windowed Cupola early Wednesday morning Feb. 17. The Cupola, which a week and half ago was brought up to the orbital outpost by the crew on the space shuttle Endeavour, will house controls for the station robotics and will be a location where crew members can operate the robotic arms and monitor other exterior activities. AP / NASA
The International Space Station photographed by an STS-130 crew member as space shuttle Endeavour and the space station approach each other during rendezvous and docking activities on Feb. 9. AP / NASA
The space shuttle Endeavour STS-130 lands at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. 21. AFP / Getty Images / Jim Watson
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