Space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts closed out the last major construction mission at the International Space Station, with a smooth landing in darkness that struck many as bittersweet.

In a highly anticipated grand finale to their mission, astronauts opened the shutters on the International Space Station's new observation deck on Wednesday and were humbled by "absolutely spectacular" views of Earth from inside the elaborate atrium of windows.

Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's expected to be the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.

A Russian rocket blasted off from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan lighting up the frigid Central Asian steppe on Monday, shuttling an American, a Russian and a Japanese to the International Space Station.

A pair of astronauts stepped out on the third and final spacewalk of their mission on Monday to take care of some odd jobs at the International Space station.