CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - NASA cleared space shuttle Atlantis to return to Earth on Thursday, confident that unidentified objects spotted floating near the spaceship did not result from damage to its heat shield or other critical equipment.
Atlantis' homecoming from an 11-day construction mission at the International Space Station had been planned for Wednesday, but was delayed a day so the crew could make an unprecedented third inspection of their ship.
