#sts-103

On Christmas morning, the crew was awakened by Bing Crosby’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” to which Commander Brown replied, “Merry Christmas to y’all down there. And Hubble will be home for Christmas, 'cause today we're going to set her free!” At 5:03 p.m., Hubble was released back into orbit.

“Truly, there is no more beautiful sight than to see the Earth from space beyond. This planet is an exquisite oasis. Warmth emanates from the Earth when you look at her from space. It’s impossible to see anything but goodness. My wish is that we would allow this planet to be the beautiful oasis she is, and allow ourselves to live more in the peace that she generates.” -Dr. Ron McNair, 1984

Astronauts Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld on a spacewalk to repair the Hubble Space Telescope during STS-103

Archive: Moonrise Over Earth (Archive: NASA, Space Shuttle, 12/99) by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Flickr.

Tramite Flickr: This image taken by an astronaut aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-103 shows a panoramic view of Earth at moonrise. Image and caption credit: NASA

Archive: Moonrise Over Earth (Archive: NASA, Space Shuttle, 12/99) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center on Flickr.

The Earth's horizon and the Shuttle Discovery are reflected in a spacewalking astronaut's visor during the STS-103 mission in December 1999. Discovery will return the Space Shuttle fleet to flight in May with the launch of the STS-114 mission.