On earth, Janelle Onizuka's soccer ball weighed 14.5 ounces. Two hundred and fifty-four miles above Clear Lake, Shane placed the ball into the ISS observatory to take a photo. It stayed there, suspended against the backdrop of the earth -- finally weightless.
"It was a bit emotional just thinking about where this came from and what had transpired over these many years to get to that point," Shane says. "I started thinking about their family and what it meant to them, and as a result, took some pictures and sent some down to them."
In its age, the ball is worn and flaked and looks almost tired against the vibrant blue of Earth and the metallic shine inside the ISS. It looks like a time traveler, a relic from another era, continuing on a mission in place of the Challenger Seven.
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