Farewells for space crews: Discovery set to undock

In this March 4, 2011 photo provided by NASA, inside the newly installed Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) on the International Space Station are thesix crew members of the STS-133 crew who've been spending busy days with the six astronauts and cosmonauts of Expedition 26, not shown. At bottom, from the left, are astronauts Eric Boe, Steve Lindsay and Michael Barratt.« Read less On top are astronauts Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott and Steve Bowen (AP Photo/NASA)

Catherine Coleman (L) and Nicole Stott work outside the new Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) of the International Space Station in this photo providedby NASA and taken March 4, 2011. REUTERS/NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The space shuttle and space station crews will soon say goodbye.

Astronauts will close the hatches between their spacecraft Sunday afternoon. Then on Monday morning, shuttle Discovery will undock for the final time from the International Space Station.

Discovery is on its final flight. When it returns to Earth on Wednesday, it will be retired and sent to a museum.

The shuttle and its crew of six have spent more than a week at the space station. They delivered and installed a new storage compartment, along with a humanoid robot.

Mission Control gave the shuttle astronauts two extra days at the orbiting outpost. They took advantage of the bonus time to empty the storage unit of all the gear that was carried up.

(Agencies)