Atlantis Departs Space Station

The shuttle Atlantis and its astronauts pulled away from the international space station after a short but productive stay, Kennedy Space Center reported. The astronauts had flown together eight days. “You did a fantastic job,” Mission Control radioed once the doors to the station were closed earlier in the day, “and we know the Expedition One crew will really appreciate all the effort you put in getting their new home set up.” Expedition One--the first permanent space station crew--is scheduled to blast off Oct. 30 aboard a Russian rocket on a four-month mission. Atlantis’ astronauts stocked the station with more than 6,000 pounds of food and other gear.