Obama to Atlantis: 'Can you see my house?'

WASHINGTON, May 21 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday congratulated the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis in a brief phone call to space from the Oval Office.

The president only spent a minute speaking to the astronauts as they soared over the Galapagos Islands and congratulated them on their "incredible journey," which included repairs to the high-priced Hubble Space Telescope.

"By allowing Hubble to continue on its journey, you've allowed us to continue on our journey," Obama told the shuttle skipper, Cmdr. Scott Altman.

Obama said one of his highest priorities was to appoint a new head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and also took some time for a little banter. "Did you guys see my house (in Chicago)? I need to know if the lawn is being mowed."