Explanation:
This luminous night view
of the space shuttle orbiter
Endeavour,
docked with the International Space Station for a final time,
was captured on May 28.
Orbiting 350 kilometers
above planet Earth, Endeavour's payload
bay is lit up as it hurtles through Earth's shadow at 17,000
miles per
hour.
At the top of the frame, the jointed appendages of the
station's robotic manipulator arm Dextre
appear in silhouette.
Motion during the long exposure
produced streaks in the starry background
and the city lights on the darkened planet below.
Completing a 16 day mission, Endeavour made a final landing
at Kennedy Space Center
in the dark,
early morning hours of June 1.
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