Shuttle undocks from space station

HOUSTON, May 30 (UPI) -- The space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the International Space Station in preparation for its journey back to Earth, NASA said.

The undocking Sunday night ended a stay of 11 days, 17 hours and 41 minutes at the orbiting laboratory, a NASA release said Monday.

Endeavour, with pilot Greg Johnson at the controls, flew in a circle around the ISS at a distance of about 450 to 650 feet, and crew members took still and video images of the station.

After the fly-around and following a separation burn, Endeavour moved about 20,000 feet above and behind the station, then to a point below and behind it in a test of an automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation.

All Endeavour crew members, including mission specialists Mike Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff, were scheduled for almost 4 hours of STORRM work, NASA said.

Landing is scheduled for 2:35 a.m. EDT Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.