Last astronauts finish packing up

Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

The astronauts making NASA’s last shuttle flight gave up their off-duty time Sunday and finished packing up their gigantic suitcase for the ride home.

The 10 space travelers cheered as they put the final items in Raffaello, the Italian-made cargo canister.

More than 5,600 pounds of old space-station equipment, packing foam and other trash will return to Earth this week inside Raffaello. Everything is neatly packed, even if it is junk.

The compartment will be moved from the International Space Station back onto space shuttle Atlantis early today. It carried up to 9,400 pounds of food, clothes and other household goods — a year’s worth of supplies.

Atlantis will undock from the space station Tuesday, and aim for a Thursday landing back in Florida to end 30 years of shuttle flight.