With pilot Alan Poindexter at the controls, the shuttle Atlantis undocked from the international space station today after a successful three-spacewalk assembly mission to attach a new European research lab to the outpost.

"Alpha and Houston, (this is) Atlantis, we have physical separation," an astronaut radioed as the the docking systems disengaged. Following naval tradition, station commander Peggy Whitson rang the ship's bell to signal Atlantis' departure.

Leaving European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts behind with Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, Atlantis separated from the space station's forward docking port at 4:24 a.m., about three minutes ahead of schedule. Joining the shuttle crew for the trip home is outgoing station flight engineer Dan Tani, who is wrapping up an extended four-month stay in space.

"We just wanted to thank you again for being a great host and letting us enjoy your station for about a week," shuttle commander Steve Frick radioed Whitson a few minutes before undocking. "We had a great time over there, we learned a lot and we really, really enjoyed working with your crew, one quarter of which we have here and we're happy to take Dan home. But just again, to you and to Yuri and to Leo, thanks very much."

"Well thank you guys," Whitson replied. "it's a great new room you've added on and we really appreciate it. Get Dan home safe, and thanks!"

The flight plan called for Poindexter to guide Atlantis to a point about 400 feet directly in front of the station before looping up, over, behind and underneath the lab complex in a full loop for photo documentation of the station and the new Columbus research module. Back at his starting point, Poindexter plans to depart the area with a rocket firing just after 6 a.m.

As the shuttle drops behind the station, the astronauts will fire up a sensor boom attached to the ship's robot arm for a final inspection of the shuttle's reinforced carbon carbon nose cap and wing leading edge panels to make sure they have not suffered any damage since a similar inspection on the second day of the mission. Today's inspection was scheduled to begin around 8:20 a.m. and end shortly after noon.

"This is a very busy day," said lead flight director Mike Sarafin. "We have the undock and then ... a fly around. Following that, we're going to do our late inspection to ensure that if any orbital debris struck Atlantis during the course of its mission we'll detect it and have the opportunity to determine if it's of critical size before committing to re-entry.

"We'll separate to a safe distance from station, to about 400 feet, we'll perform a series of piloting maneuvers ... up and over the top of the station, all the time they'll be taking imagery of station, back behind station and then underneath completing a full lap. We get back 360 degrees out from where we started and then complete a separation burn to fly up and away from station."

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