Discovery Crew Wraps Up Exam of Heat Shield
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As expected, small pieces of foam debris and ice fell off the shuttleÂs external fuel tank during its launch, but they did not appear to strike the spacecraft.
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HOUSTON  -- Shuttle Atlantis astronauts will take a closer look at a minor tear in their ship's heat shield on Sunday after an undisclosed medical issue sidelined plans for a spacewalk to install Europe's Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station, NASA officials said.
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By MIKE SCHNEIDER CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Atlantis' six astronauts began inspecting the space shuttle's thermal skin for damage early Sunday as they soared toward the international space station.
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NASA&#39;s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity gained this view of its own heat shield during the rover&#39;s 325th martian day (Dec. 22, 2004).
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Space shuttle Discovery&#039;s astronauts got some happy news Sunday: It&#039;s safe to fly home. Mission Control informed the crew of six that the ship&#039;s thermal shielding is &quot;100 percent cleared for entry&quot; in another week.
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By MIKE SCHNEIDER  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Atlantis' astronauts gave the ship's wings and nose one last inspection Monday with a remotely operated TV camera and laser, and NASA said there appeared to be no damage that would prevent the shuttle from coming home.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - Spacewalking astronauts will likely drop plans to test a shuttle heat shield repair technique so they have time to study a troubled but critical part of the International Space Station's power system, NASA said on Monday.
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Two astronauts ventured into space on  Monday to install a giant new piece on the International Space  Station on a mission NASA will extend to repair a rip in space  shuttle Atlantis&#39; heat shield.
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Astronauts prepared on Sunday for a lengthy inspection of space shuttle Discovery's heat shield for possible damage following Saturday's night-time launch, the first since space shuttle Columbia's destruction in 2003.
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The crew of space shuttle Atlantis on their first day in orbit Friday trained a camera on the spaceship's thermal shield to search for any damage from a loose piece of insulation that broke off during liftoff, NASA said.
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By Seth Borenstein  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With a 4-inch gap in the space shuttle Atlantis' heat-protecting blanket not appearing to be an urgent problem on Saturday, the crew members readied themselves for what NASA called a delicate ballet with the International Space Station.
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HOUSTON  -- Shuttle Atlantis astronauts will take  a closer look at a minor tear in their ship's heat shield on  Sunday after an undisclosed medical issue sidelined plans for a  spacewalk to install Europe's Columbus laboratory on the  International Space Station, NASA officials said.
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Early report shows no signs of damage to shuttle Atlantis    WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Atlantis crew conducted heat shield inspections Sunday as the shuttle continued its chase of the International Space Station, NASA said.
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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.
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Scans of the shuttleÂs delicate heat shield today so far reveal no worrisome damage to the craft.
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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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Astronauts and engineers spent Tuesday troubleshooting problems in space and on the ground.