Shuttle cleared for Earth return
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Nasa clears the shuttle Atlantis for a return to Earth, after inspections find no damage from orbiting debris.
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NASA on Wednesday  cleared the space shuttle Discovery for launch from Florida on  December 7 on a mission to continue building the International  Space Station, a space agency official said.
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Weather forecasts were not encouraging,  but space shuttle Atlantis was scheduled to return to Earth on  Thursday in an afternoon landing at Kennedy Space Center in  Florida.
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The shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned safely home Monday, rejuvenating a space program that until now had been vexed by the same chronic foam problem that brought down Columbia three years ago.
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The space shuttle Atlantis returned safely to Earth Friday, ending a two-week, five-million-mile mission for its crew of seven.
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By Martin Merzer, The Miami Herald  Jun. 1--A two-day flight readiness review ended Thursday with NASA formally clearing shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts for a long-delayed mission to the International Space Station.
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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 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  NASA declared that it's back in the space- station assembly business Thursday after shuttle Atlantis and its six astronauts safely returned from a 12-day mission to install a new piece of the orbiting outpost.
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Space shuttle Atlantis pulled away from the international space station Sunday for a return trip to Earth after its six astronauts bade farewell to the residents of the orbiting lab with hugs, handshakes and the traditional ringing of a bell.
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By Seth Borenstein Associated Press  HOUSTON -- NASA gave space shuttle Atlantis the all-clear to come home today after a stem-to-stern inspection prompted by a mysterious flurry of orbital litter found no damage to the ship.
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Space shuttle Atlantis' thermal protection system was cleared for re-entry Saturday, allowing it to separate from the International Space Station on schedule.
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By JUAN A. LOZANO HOUSTON - As space shuttle Atlantis crew members continued their return trip to Earth on Wednesday, they waited for results of a final inspection of the spacecraft to make sure its heat shield was in good shape.
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The space shuttle Atlantis returned safely to Earth early this morning, after a 12-day mission that included construction of the international space station for the first time since the loss of the shuttle Columbia in 2003.
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By Traci Watson  NASA engineers cleared space shuttle Atlantis for landing today, concluding after inspections that an object seen drifting near the vehicle and three more pieces of nearby debris were not a worry.
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By JUAN A. LOZANO HOUSTON - The space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the international space station Tuesday for its trip back to Earth, concluding a nearly 10-day stay that included construction work and a computer meltdown.
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NASA decides to return Atlantis to launch pad   WASHINGTON, Aug.
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Atlantis' heat shield is safe 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.