Final inspection for space shuttle
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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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The orbiting Discovery crew started the meticulous inspection of the shuttle's heat shield on Sunday, looking for any possible damage from liftoff.
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Discovery's seven astronauts conducted a painstaking inspection of the space shuttle Wednesday, focusing especially on three wing panels to make sure possible cracks spotted beneath the shuttle's protective coating hadn't worsened.
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SPACE.com / CAPE  CANAVERAL, - The six astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis will conduct an unprecedented third inspection of their orbiter's heat shield before landing this week to ensure its integrity after an unidentified object appeared to shake free of the spacecraft this morning, NASA's shuttle chief said late Tuesday.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - The Space shuttle Atlantis closed in on the International Space Station on Saturday as shuttle crew checked the ship's wings for any damage from blastoff.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - The space shuttle Atlantis closed in on the International Space Station on Saturday as NASA experts studied whether a damaged thermal blanket at the rear of the orbiter needed repair.
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By SETH BORENSTEIN  HOUSTON - NASA gave space shuttle Atlantis the all-clear to come home Thursday after a stem-to-stern inspection prompted by a mysterious flurry of orbital litter found no damage to the ship.
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Two US astronauts are puting the finishing touches on the installation of a solar power system for the International Space Station in the third and final spacewalk of the Atlantis mission.
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Final preparations were underway Monday at Florida's Kennedy Space Center for the long-awaited launch Wednesday of the space shuttle Atlantis.
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HOUSTON - The first inspections of NASA's shuttle Discovery two days after a successful night launch reveal no significant problems for its seven-astronaut crew bound for the International Space Station (ISS).
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By SETH BORENSTEIN  HOUSTON - Atlantis' six astronauts completed two inspections of the space shuttle Wednesday to make sure it wasn't damaged from mysterious objects found floating outside the spacecraft and made preparations for a landing attempt on Thursday.
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NASA mission managers say final checks have been completed and space shuttle Atlantis is ready to leave the Orbiter Processing Facility.
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By Traci Watson  The crew of space shuttle Discovery did an unplanned inspection of their ship's heat shield as a precaution Monday after sensors detected a possible glancing blow to the left wing earlier in the day.
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Astronauts aboard Discovery plan a final, routine check of the space shuttle's heat shield and the launch of two small satellites on Wednesday before landing two days later.
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By MIKE SCHNEIDER HOUSTON - Hours after undocking from the international space station Tuesday, Atlantis' seven astronauts began 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 put the final touches on a new solar power unit for the International Space Station on Sunday in their last spacewalk before the scheduled departure of the shuttle Atlantis on Tuesday.
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The crew of space shuttle Atlantis Wednesday conducted the week's third inspection of the spacecraft after more objects were seen floating near the shuttle.