The space shuttle Endeavour returned safely to Earth today after accomplishing an arduous, somewhat rushed yet important mission primarily to exchange the crew onboard International Space Station Alpha. The former crew, Expedition Four, distinguished itself in many ways, not the least of which included members setting a new space endurance record for the U.S. (196 days). Welcome home, guys - help yourself to every slice of pizza you can eat!

However STS-111 was more than just a taxi ride. Whilst in orbit the shuttle's crew also did a little trash pick-up (about two tons worth!), replaced a malfunctioning wrist roll joint on the station's robot arm, and serviced the mobile base "space railroad" to help the arm grab a ride and extend itself along the width of the station. This will expedite further construction of the station. It's worth noting the activity on the arm took only one hundred days from detection to repair. That's not long at all in NASA-years.

In fact, about the only element not cooperative in the success of the mission was the elements themselves. Inclement weather forced delays into both launch and landing, delays sufficient to jeopardize Endeavour's return flight to Alpha scheduled later this year. Landing in California requires significant resources to relocate the ship back to the Cape and could not have been an easy decision.

Godspeed to you, Expedition Five! May we see you in only a slightly longer than short while, and may your stellar home grow. It's nice to hope the time approaches when ISS Alpha might be joined by ISS Beta. (Yet are Star Trek fans - those partial to the mirror universe particularly - the only ones who get the heebies noting such a "good thing" named like an "evil empire?" I think I'm joking.)

For that matter, is anyone else noticing back on the ground? Historical mention has been made repeatedly about the furor to step on the moon being replaced with such torpor after the feat had been finished. "After a time, you may find that 'having' is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as 'wanting.' It is not logical, but it is often true," says Spock in "Amok Time." Are we going crazy too? Have we reached our goal only to become disinterested in it?

Space, the final frontier, now contains our first frontier outpost, and its accomplishments and occupants continue to take their respectable place in history. This is the shot we've simply got to take. Let's not lose track of it in the shuffle.