Endeavour Mission STS 130 undocked from the International Space Station at 7:54 pm this evening for a Sunday landing on Earth

Endeavour undocking from the ISS

The joint docked mission between the crews of the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour comes to an end this evening when the shuttle undocks from the station at 7:54 p.m. EST to begin the voyage back to Earth. At time of undocking, the Endeavour had been 11 days and 15 hours and 41 minutes since it left Earth.

Earlier in the day, Endeavour crew said good bye to the ISS crew. There were smiles all around as the ISS crew thanked them for bringing Tranquility module and the cupola.

What has seemingly had been 11 effortless days in space is now getting complicated. It’s not like Star Wars where the space ships glide in to a docking and hanger door, taxi to a stop, a door opens and people get out.

Hatches between Endeavour and the International Space Station were closed at 2:08 a.m. CST. All communications between the Endeavour and ISS had to be disconnected.

After that it’s an endless routine of checking the space shuttle, checking lists, confirming everything with ground control in Houston. All Endeavour systems had to be fired up and checked to ensure a safe flight home.

We hear “Go for un-docking” the “Endeavour you are go for un-docking.” Then nothing happens and not a word is spoken for ten minutes.

In the video the ISS is above the Shuttle docking bay.

The un-docking is a slow motion ballet 207 miles above the Atlantic Ocean. It is meant to ensure safety and keep the shuttle from colliding with the ever expanding space station with its long solar array panels.

“At undocking, the Orbiter Docking System let go of the mating adapter and springs gently pushed the two vehicles apart. The ISS seems to drift upwards since the camera is on the space shuttle.

“Goodbye and a wave”

“Thanks for the hospitality.”

Pilot Terry Virts flew the shuttle manually about 450 feet in front of the ISS using steam jets. They are moving away at 1.3 feet per second.

All of the instructions and “copy” responses seem redundant until Virt misheard the Pitch setting from Houston who repeated it for him to correct.

The crew took some last pictures of the newly configured ISS and Tranquility module before Virts fired up the jets to move away from the ISS.

Next the shuttle circled around the ISS to check the underside heat shield one more time at about 600 to 700 feet from the ISS.

The Shuttle is scheduled to land at Cape Canaveral on Sunday.

Story with portions from NASA. More video to follow.