(05-22) 04:00 PDT Cape Canaveral -- Pope Benedict XVI had a direct line to the heavens Saturday, with NASA's help.
Speaking from the Vatican, the pontiff bestowed a historic blessing upon the 12 astronauts circling Earth during the first-ever papal call to space, wishing a swift recovery for the shuttle commander's wounded wife and condolences for a station astronaut mourning his mother's death.
The "extraordinary" conversation, as Benedict described it, occurred after the Endeavour astronauts inspected a small gash in the shuttle's belly, to ensure their safe return to Earth after departing the International Space Station in just over a week. NASA said the gash poses no safety concern.
Seated at a table before a television set tuned to NASA's live broadcast from orbit, Benedict told the space travelers that "you are our representatives spearheading humanity's exploration of new spaces and possibilities for our future." He said he admired their courage, discipline and commitment.
Cmdr. Mark Kelly, who's of Irish-Catholic descent, thanked the pope for his kind words. His wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., had surgery to repair her skull Wednesday, four months after being shot in the head at a political event in Tucson. She was nearly killed, yet managed to attend her husband's launch Monday.
The long-distance papal audience was arranged by the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA provided technical support from Mission Control in Houston.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/21/MNJ11JJA1C.DTL#ixzz1N43AkLv7
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