But...
... when do they install the quad laser cannons...?
In a highly anticipated finale to their mission, NASA astronauts have thrown open the shutters on the International Space Station's new room with a view. During the last of three spacewalks planned for Endeavour's 14-day mission, astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick removed insulation blankets on Tranquility node's …
...that it looked like a TIE cockpit, or perhaps the view from the Millennium Falcon turret.
Some of the astronauts made some interesting observations: Nicholas Patrick (you go, UK!) commented that the view from the cupola was actually better than the view while out on EVA in some ways, one being that you can just relax and check out the view while not having to concentrate on work, and dealing with being inside a suit; Jeff Williams mentioned that while inside the cupola, your sense of "up" and "down" were a bit disturbed because the cupola, being in a fixed position facing Earth, gave you a strong sense of looking "down", and made him worry a bit about opening his pockets for fear of items inside falling out. One other astronaut -- I forget who, right offhand -- said that it was almost like being able to stick your head outside the Station and take a look all around you.
...was not just the spectacular view from the cupola, but the scene in the module in the immediate vicinity of the cupola while on the dayside. After being used to seeing scenes aboard the station entirely lit by the slightly-dim uniform light of interior flourescent lighting, it was rather startling to see the whole inside of the Tranquillity Node being flooded with the natural light of earthshine.
...as these days, it seems that every time they accomplish something, you'll hear an astronaut (usually a mission CDR) or Capcom or Flight Director recite some dry, feel-good prose about thanking the team on the ground or some such.
It's almost as if the crew actually has a page in their cuff books -- or the mission controllers a page in their checklists -- with the text of whatever touchy-feely PAO-mandated blather they're required to recite after a booster clears the tower, or after a new module to the Station is opened, or a new solar array is brought online, or the HST is released back into orbit, or whatever. It really does sound like they're reading off of a script.
Oh, for the days of the free-wheeling comms of Apollo missions; there was no pre-arranged statement when the Apollo 10 LM went out of control -- Gene Cernan simply blurted out "Sonofabitch!" for everyone back on Earth and their cats to hear. Iirc, only the respective CDRs first words upon stepping onto lunar soil were chosen ahead of time; everything else was off the cuff.