Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew returned to Earth on Wednesday, landing at 9:07 a.m. at the Kennedy Space Centre. NASA's next mission is just three weeks away. Endeavour is scheduled to blast off with the first piece of Japan's massive space station lab on March 11.
"These missions are extremely challenging, and a great deal of preparation and teamwork are required to get these vehicles ready to fly. We're focused on completing assembly and moving into the full utilization phase of the station. This mission opens the door for another one of our international partners to join in the important work and science on the space station" - Bill Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Space Operations.
After a farewell ceremony, astronauts from the Space shuttle closed the hatches between Atlantis and the International Space Station on Sunday in preparation for the shuttle's Monday departure. French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who arrived aboard the shuttle, will remain on the station in Tani's place to oversee operations in the new European lab, Columbus.
Atlantis is currently scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Centre at 14:06 GMT (9:06 EST ) on Wednesday, February 20th, with a second opportunity available at 15:40 GMT (10:40 EST ). A third landing possibility is available at the backup runway at the Edwards Air Force Base, at 17:12 GMT (12:12 EST).
Atlantis shuttle astronauts took a close look at a torn insulation blanket on their vehicle's engine pod Sunday as mission managers officially extended their flight by one day due to a crew member's illness. Aside from the slightly torn blanket and a few chipped heat-resistant tiles around Atlantis' windows, the spacecraft appears to be in good health.
The crew of Shuttle Atlantis conducted a painstaking laser inspection of the ship's wings Friday, looking for any signs of damage from its trip into space. The crew of seven astronauts had to determine whether the shuttle was damaged by at least three pieces of foam or other debris that came off the fuel tank two minutes after the liftoff. There was no evidence that the debris hit Atlantis.