Shuttle Atlantis crew prepares for return to Earth
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Astronauts on the shuttle Atlantis   packed up gear and checked out their spacecraft on Tuesday as   they prepared to come home from their 11-day mission to the   International Space Station.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - The countdown clock began ticking on Tuesday for the planned launch this week of the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis, which will return the beleaguered shuttle program to space after a six-month hiatus.
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The Atlantis orbiter is set to return to Earth after installing Europe's Columbus science lab on the space station.
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The six Atlantis shuttle astronauts arrived in Florida to make final preparations for next week's planned launch to resume construction of an orbiting laboratory, NASA said.
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SPACE.com / CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. &#8211; Six astronauts and their shuttle Atlantis are safely back on Earth after returning NASA and its partners on a path to complete the International Space Station (ISS).
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - NASA is finally ready to fly its first mission of the year, with space shuttle Atlantis and seven astronauts scheduled for liftoff on Friday evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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By Mike Schneider, Associated Press  HOUSTON -- Hours after undocking from the international space station Tuesday, Atlantis' seven astronauts finished a final inspection of the space shuttle to make sure its heat shield was ready to re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
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By Martin Merzer, The Miami Herald  Jun. 21--Mission managers declared shuttle Atlantis fit to return to Earth on Thursday, but a higher authority -- nature -- might give the seven astronauts an extra day in space.
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Seven astronauts returned to NASA's launch site Monday to take a new shot at flying space shuttle Atlantis to the international space station.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The seven-astronaut crew of NASA&#39;s shuttle Atlantis is hoping to beat the weather to make a Florida landing today after a successful construction flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - Shuttle Discovery astronauts undocked their craft from the International Space Station on Tuesday and prepared to begin the journey home to Earth.
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After a three-month delay, Atlantis is ready to blast off Friday on the first space shuttle mission of the year as NASA presses on with efforts to finish the International Space Station.
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By MIKE SCHNEIDER CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Atlantis' heat shield is safe enough for the shuttle to return to Earth, mission managers decided Wednesday, a day before the space shuttle was planned to land in Florida. A forecast for thunderstorms appeared to be the main obstacle for its return.
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NASA&#39;s space shuttle Endeavour returned to the launch pad for the first time in nearly five years, making the overnight trek from its Florida hangar to prepare for a planned Aug. 7 liftoff.
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The Atlantis crew of seven examined the shuttle&#39;s heat shield one last time in preparation for returning to Earth, after a successful two-week mission to the International Space Station.
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After a successful first spacewalk, the crew aboard the space shuttle was set to spend much of Wednesday preparing to rewire the international space station, one of their most important tasks.
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Astronauts on shuttle Atlantis  conducted a final inspection of their spacecraft's heat shield  on Monday as they began early preparations for their return to  Earth.