Photos: iPod flies high with space shuttle

This NASA photo released last week of space shuttle Endeavour would likely have gone unnoticed by the gadget set if it weren't for some keen blogger eyes that spotted an iPod sitting in the window console. (Thanks Bad Astronomy and Mac/Life.)

The overhead exterior shot of the shuttle was taken using a 400 mm lens by Expedition 16 crew members on the International Space Station, NASA said. "Before docking with the station, astronaut Dominic Gorie, STS-123 commander, flew the shuttle through a roll pitch maneuver, or basically a back flip to allow the space station crew a good view of Endeavour's heat shield."

Astronauts have been allowed to fly with iPods for the last few years, "a great space saver over CD players," according to recent ABC News story. But the devices can only take flight after their lithium batteries are replaced with alkaline AA batteries that are certified to fly on the shuttle. And iPods aren't yet certified for use on the space station, the story said.