Hey - I Can See My House From Here!

Talk to any Astronaut about their most revered memory from Space and the answer will inevitably be - seeing the Earth. The most vivid description was given by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, who said 'It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.'

The only grouch astronauts have had is that this special memory has to be viewed through small portholes or at best through a measly 20-inch window from the U.S. Laboratory, Destiny. However, that is all about to change. In February 2010, NASA will send a new observatory module called Cupola, which is studded with windows - six around its side and a massive 31-inch one at the top.

Besides being a great place to relax, the large windows will also serve as an observation point for astronauts to take pictures of the Earth from angles that are not accessible to satellites. This could provide scientists with valuable information about the melting icebergs, dust storms, structure of hurricane eyes and noctilucent clouds.

In addition, computers inside the dome will give the astronauts full control and view of the 60-ft robotic arm and dexterous manipulator, as well as, any unexpected visitors (think aliens)! Best of all, NASA has promised to share all the amazing pictures on their website - which should be 'out of this world'!

source:wikipedia.org, science.NASA.gov.