Astronauts unveil new window view of Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - 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 spectacular views of Earth from inside the elaborate atrium of windows.

The $27 million lookout opened each of its seven eyes one window at a time as the crews of the station and shuttle Endeavour - which delivered the European compartments - carried out their 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 inside cranked open the shutter as they sailed 220 miles above the South Pacific.