Florida ? After four months aboard the international space station, astronaut Daniel Tani can’t wait to get back on the planet so he can dine with a plate and spit after he brushes his teeth.

Atlantis will take Tani home Wednesday, but he expects to have mixed emotions when it comes time to say goodbye. He moved into the space station in October and had his stay extended two months because of fuel gauge trouble that bumped Atlantis’ flight from December to February.

“I look forward to some odd things,” Tani said. “I’m looking forward to putting food on a plate and eating several things at once, which you can’t do up here. I’m looking forward to spitting my toothpaste out in a sink rather than swallowing it.”

NASA wants Atlantis back on time so it will be out of harm’s way when the military shoots down an ailing spy satellite, and consequently is prepared to direct the space shuttle to California if the weather is bad for landing at Cape Canaveral.