farewell to Bermuda's NASA station yesterday.

It was the first time NASA's Bermuda headquarters had ever spoken live to astronauts on board the shuttle.

Captain Terrence Wilcutt took the helm of the Endeavour to deliver a 15-second message in a live satellite link-up to the station at 9.16 a.m.

And the present Endeavour mission is the last shuttle journey to be monitored by the Cooper's Island scientists, who will leave the station in September.

NASA chiefs in Houston have said the Bermuda station will have to close once a new tracking-relay satellite is fully operational.

The satellite is already used to monitor the shuttle several minutes after lift-off.

And Bermuda played its last frontline role in a shuttle mission during last Thursday's launch. Scientists tracked the Endeavour's position and provided all telecommunications to Mission Control in Houston for almost seven minutes during the crucial launch period.

They also monitor the shuttle whenever it comes within range of the Bermuda tracking station on its 160-mile high orbit.

Station manager Bill Way said: "We've been here since 1961 and monitored every single NASA launch since then.

"Now we're closing down and our last shuttle launch was very emotional. It was nice to have the link-up with the astronauts and to know that they appreciated all the work we have done. At least that's official recognition for all the people who work here.'' The Endeavour had already docked at the Russian space station Mir when the message came through. Not all of Bermuda's 47 NASA scientists were on hand to hear the message because many were off shift.

But the link-up was taped and will be replayed to staff whenever they are back at the station.

And Mr. Way said the staff were unable to speak to the astronauts because of a tight deadline to switch the tracking relay satellite to Mir. He added: "The astronauts were very busy and the satellite was doing something with Mir so the link-up was cut short and it was a little bit rushed.

"In a way it was a bit anti-climactic. But the astronauts said some nice things and thanked us for our 37-and-a-half years of support.

"Capt. Wilcutt reminded us we had been through the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo launches and provided excellent support for all the shuttle missions. They told us they appreciated that support and said we had a great tracking station.

"I think everyone is sorry to see us close down. And I spoke to Houston immediately after the link-up and told them that everybody was sorry to be leaving but had had a great time doing the job here in Bermuda.'' The Bermuda-based scientists will monitor a satellite launch from Cape Kennedy later today and are tracking the Endeavour every 90 minutes -- the time it takes to orbit Earth.

The Cooper's Island station will shut down on September 30.