The shuttle Atlantis closed out its 32nd and final planned mission with a smooth Florida landing Wednesday, wrapping up a quarter-century of service with a successful space station assembly mission.

Read our full story.

Here's our landing day photo galleries:

• View from the runway
• Atlantis towed to hangar
• Compilation of the day

Atlantis has arrived back inside its space-age garage.

The shuttle is making its way down the tow road that connects the runway to the orbiter processing area near the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Atlantis is in motion! It is being towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility back to the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, where the ship will be processed as a launch-on-need emergency rescue vehicle for Endeavour's STS-134 crew. There's a chance Atlantis could fly an added STS-135 mission on the shuttle manifest next year, but no decisions have been made. (See our earlier story on that possibility.)

Workers at the runway are huddling together for a briefing before they begin towing space shuttle Atlantis off the runway. The orbiter's crew module hatch has been closed and the tow vehicle hooked up to the nose gear.

Reports from the Shuttle Landing Facility indicate that Atlantis is in great shape. The towing of orbiter from the runway to its processing hangar is expected to begin in a couple of hours.

"The vehicle on the runway looked really, really clean," said space operations chief Bill Gerstenmaier.

We've posted our gallery of landing photos.

The astronauts climbed aboard the AstroVan to head for crew quarters where they will be reunited with family members and have some dinner.

They will spend the night here before returning to Houston for a welcome ceremony at about 4 p.m. local time Thursday at Ellington Field's Hangar 990.

The lead space shuttle and space station flight directors for the mission -- Mike Sarafin and Emily Nelson -- are welcoming their crew back on Earth.

The 6-man crew looks to be in good shape after 12 days off the planet.

The six astronauts have walked down the stairs from the Crew Transport Vehicle for the traditional walkaround look at the space shuttle on the runway. There to greet them is NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, KSC Center Director Bob Cabana, space operations chief Bill Gerstenmaier, launch director Mike Leinbach, plus other space officials.

The Mission Control Center in Houston is handing over shuttle Atlantis to the landing convoy at Kennedy Space Center.

Atlantis landed 2,500 feet down the runway and rolled to a stop at the 12,200-foot mark of the 15,000-foot long runway.

All six astronauts have exited the space shuttle. They are inside the Crew Transport Vehicle -- a modified airport "People Mover" -- that pulled up to the side hatch for the astronauts to enter. The CTV features beds and comfortable seats for the astronauts to receive medical checks after returning to Earth's gravity from the weightless environment of space.

The hatch was opened at 9:15 a.m., the first crewmember exited at 9:21 a.m. and the crew egress was called complete at 9:29 a.m. EDT.

Commander Ken Ham has turned the spacecraft over to the astronaut support personnel now aboard the shuttle. He's about to climb out of Atlantis.

The astronauts have completed the post-landing procedures, which have progressed smoothly this morning.

Ground technicians estimate the tow of Atlantis off the runway will start between 12:30 and 1 p.m. EDT.

The mobile steps have been positioned next to Atlantis' hatch along with the Crew Transport Vehicle for the astronauts to enter.

The orbiter's vent doors are about to be repositioned.

The APU shutdown has been completed by pilot Tony Antonelli.

The astronauts were just given permission to remove their entry spacesuits.

On the runway, technicians are using instruments to "sniff" the shuttle's exterior to check for any hazardous vapors.

The main engine nozzles have been repositioned, or gimbaled, to the "rain drain" orientation. And now the hydraulics are no longer required, so Atlantis' three Auxiliary Power Units are being shut down.

The pyrotechnics for the crew module hatch, landing gear and drag chute have been safed, commander Ken Ham reports.

The ship's flight computers are transitioning to the OPS-9 software package.

The external tank umbilical doors on the shuttle's belly have been opened and the body flap set by pilot Tony Antonelli.

Here are the landing times in Eastern Daylight Time and Mission Elapsed Time:

Main Gear Touchdown
8:48:11 a.m. EDT
MET: 11 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes, 2 seconds

Nose Gear Touchdown
8:48:21 a.m. EDT
MET: 11 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes, 12 seconds

Wheels Stop
8:49:18 a.m. EDT
MET: 11 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes, 9 seconds

The astronauts are beginning standard post-landing activities to safe the spacecraft.

WHEELS STOP. Space shuttle Atlantis has safely returned to the homeport after the final planned voyage in its quarter-century of spaceflight. The vehicle's rich history includes 294 days in space, 4,648 orbits and 120 million miles during 32 flights. Whether NASA gives Atlantis one more mission next year remains unknown, meaning today's landing could have been the orbiter's last before retirement.

Atlantis is back at the Kennedy Space Center after a 12-day mission that spanned 186 orbits of the planet and 4,879,978 miles.

The astronauts expanded the International Space Station by installing a new Russian module, and did it using an untried and uncertain method that ultimately worked without a hitch. A trio of spacewalks also occurred for the betterment of the station, renewing the oldest section of the electrical power system by replacing a half-dozen giant batteries and creating a backup route of communications with the ground by mounting a sizable antenna atop the complex.

TOUCHDOWN! Main gear touchdown. Pilot Tony Antonelli is putting out the drag chute as commander Ken Ham brings the nose gear to the surface of Runway 33.

Pilot Tony Antonelli is deploying the landing gear. Standing by for touchdown at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility.

Wings are level on final approach.

Altitude 10,000 feet. The shuttle descending at a rate seven times steeper than that of a commercial airliner.

Field in sight. Commander Ken Ham reports he can see the runway as he guides Atlantis to landing.

Less than 90 degrees left in this turn. Atlantis is right on track.

Atlantis has passed over the Atlantic and looped around to line up with the runway.

The shuttle is in the Heading Alignment Cylinder, an imaginary circle to align with Runway 33. Commander Ken Ham is piloting Atlantis through a 320-degree right overhead turn to loop around for landing on the southeast to northwest runway.

Commander Ken Ham has taken manual control of Atlantis for landing.

The twin sonic booms have rumbled across the Kennedy Space Center area, announcing the shuttle's arrival.

Four minutes to landing.

Now descending through 52,000 feet in altitude.

Atlantis is 12 miles in altitude, 41 miles from the runway, traveling at Mach 1.6.

The spacecraft remains on course. The crew has been given a "go" for normal deployment of the drag chute after main gear touchdown.

Atlantis is 16 miles in altitude, 77 miles from the runway.

Seven minutes to go. Air data probes are being deployed from the shuttle's nose to feed air speed, altitude and angle of attack information to the computers for navigation.

Long-range cameras at the landing site have spotted the approaching spacecraft.

Atlantis is in Florida airspace and passing over Lake Okeechobee.

Ten minutes from landing. Atlantis has reached southwest Florida and the Everglades. The flight path will go over Lake Okeechobee and up the state northward toward Brevard County.

Atlantis is 27 miles in altitude, 266 miles from the runway, traveling at 4,700 mph.

The crew is sticking with Runway 33.

Atlantis is 161,000 feet in altitude, traveling at 6,400 mph.

The space shuttle is going directly above Cuba, it's ground track passing near Havana.

Now 12 minutes from touchdown. Mission Control computes Atlantis will land 2,500 feet down the runway at 195 knots.

The shuttle continues to soar over the Caribbean.

Atlantis is 181,000 feet in altitude, 600 miles from the runway, traveling at 9,200 mph.

After flying over the eastern corner of Honduras, Atlantis has emerged out over the Caribbean Sea.

The space shuttle is approaching landfall in the skies over Costa Rica. The spacecraft will cross Nicaragua in a few moments.

Atlantis is experiencing the period of peak heating during re-entry.

Now 20 minutes from landing.

Now traveling at 44 miles above the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

The wind conditions and flying characteristics at the Shuttle Landing Facility is prompting Mission Control and commander Ken Ham to consider changing runways. Instead of using Runway 33, shuttle Atlantis could retarget to Runway 15. That's a northwest-to-southeast approach.

Time to touchdown now 25 minutes. Atlantis is continues its plunge over the Pacific Ocean.

The shuttle is in the midst of the four banks to scrub off speed as it descends into the atmosphere. These turns basically remove the energy vehicle built up during launch.

Now 30 minutes from touchdown as Atlantis plunges into the upper atmosphere. The path will take the spacecraft from the Pacific to Florida on a northeasterly trajectory toward the landing site. See ground track.

ENTRY INTERFACE. Atlantis' thermal protection system is feeling heat beginning to build as the orbiter enters the top fringes of the atmosphere -- a period known as entry interface.

The shuttle is flying at Mach 25 with its nose elevated 40 degrees, wings level, at an altitude of 400,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean.

Touchdown remains set for 8:48 a.m. EDT in Florida.

Now 35 minutes left to go. This will be the 75th shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center.

The Florida spaceport's Shuttle Landing Facility was built in 1975. The concrete strip is 300 feet wide and 15,000 feet long with 1,000-foot overruns at each end. The runway is located about three miles northwest of the 525-foot tall Vehicle Assembly Building.

Atlantis is targeting Runway 33, which is the southeast to northwest approach. The shuttle will make a 320-degree right overhead turn to align with the runway.

Now 40 minutes to touchdown. Onboard guidance has maneuvered Atlantis from its heads-down, tail-forward position needed for the deorbit burn to the re-entry configuration of heads-up and nose-forward. The nose will be pitched upward 40 degrees. In this new position, the black tiles on the shuttle's belly and the reinforced carbon-carbon panels on the wing leading edges and nose cap will shield the spacecraft during the fiery plunge through the Earth's atmosphere with temperatures reaching well over 2,000 degrees F. Atlantis will begin interacting with the upper fringes of the atmosphere above the South Pacific at 8:16 a.m. EDT.

All three Auxiliary Power Units are up and running now.

Now 50 minutes from touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center to conclude Atlantis' 11-day, 18-hour, 28-minute flight. The orbiter will weigh 209,491 pounds at landing, which is 53,609 pounds lighter than when it launched.

Atlantis is passing more than 200 miles over Australia.

Sixty minutes to touchdown. Atlantis is maneuvering to the orientation for entry. The shuttle will hit the upper atmosphere at 8:16 a.m.

DEORBIT BURN COMPLETE. Atlantis has successfully completed the deorbit burn for the trip back home. Landing is scheduled for 8:48 a.m. EDT at the Cape to conclude this mission to the space station and Atlantis' final scheduled flight.

Both engines continue to fire, each producing about 6,000 pounds of thrust.

DEORBIT BURN IGNITION. Flying upside down and backwards above Indonesia, Atlantis has begun the deorbit burn. The firing of the twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the tail of the shuttle will last three minutes and five seconds, slowing the craft by about 225 mph to slip from orbit. The retro-burn will send Atlantis to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a pinpoint touchdown at 8:48 a.m. EDT.

Atlantis is in the proper configuration for the deorbit burn, Mission Control has confirmed for the crew.

Pilot Tony Antonelli is activating one of three Auxiliary Power Units in advance of the burn, now four minutes away. The other two APUs will be started later in the descent to provide pressure needed to power shuttle's hydraulic systems that move the wing flaps, rudder/speed brake, drop the landing gear and steer the nose wheel. NASA ensures that at least one APU is working before conducting to the deorbit burn since the shuttle needs only a single unit to make a safe landing.

The shuttle is getting maneuvered into the proper orientation for the deorbit burn.

It's turned into a gorgeous morning at the Kennedy Space Center to welcome home Atlantis. The shuttle launched on time May 14 and now will land right on schedule.

A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text messages on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

GO FOR THE DEORBIT BURN! The weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center are going to cooperate for landing the space shuttle. Entry flight director Tony Ceccacci in Mission Control just gave final approval for Atlantis to perform the deorbit burn at 7:41:59 a.m. EDT that will commit the spacecraft for the journey back to Earth.

Touchdown in Florida on Runway 33 is set for 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a mission that delivered the Russian mini module Rassvet to the International Space Station, an expansion for science and supporting spacecraft at the outpost.

Just a few more minutes remain until entry flight director Tony Ceccacci will have to decide whether Atlantis can perform the deorbit burn that puts the shuttle on its glide back to Earth for landing at 8:48 a.m. EDT.

The Spaceflight Meteorology Group has revised the official forecast for landing time and removed the chance of showers within 30 miles of the runway. Current observed conditions and the forecast are now "go" for Atlantis' return to the Kennedy Space Center.

Pilot Tony Antonelli has completed the OMS engine gimbal check. The Auxiliary Power Unit prestart is underway.

Optimism grows that weather will allow Atlantis to come home on time today.

The crew has been given a "go" to start the "fluid loading" protocol. That involves drinking large amounts of liquids and salt tablets to assist in the readaptation to Earth's gravity.

This "go" from Mission Control is seen as a good step toward an on time landing. Houston typically doesn't force the crew into fluid loading unless deorbit looks at least possible.

Water, orange, lemonade, lemon-lime, grape and tropical punch drinks are on the menu for the astronauts to pick from today.

The leading edge of those showers appear to be dissipating a bit.

Now two-and-a-half hours from touchdown, weather permitting. Mission Control continues tracking those approaching showers.

The latest data from Mission Control shows the upcoming deorbit burn ignition time will be 7:41:59 a.m. EDT. The twin braking rockets will fire for three minutes and five seconds, slowing the shuttle by about 225 mph, just enough to slip out of orbit.

Once in range of the Kennedy Space Center, commander Ken Ham will perform a 320-degree right overhead turn to align with Runway 33 for touchdown at 8:48 a.m. EDT.

The total mission duration will be 11 days, 18 hours and 28 minutes.

NASA astronaut Lee Archambault is airborne at the Kennedy Space Center in the Shuttle Training Aircraft to fly weather reconnaissance around the Florida spaceport today. Earlier this morning, he was flying in a T-38 jet to examine how the weather situation was developing.

The Shuttle Training Aircraft is a modified Gulfstream jet that offers a close simulation to the flying characteristics of a space shuttle during landing.

The rain showers now being watched are about 65 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center. They are moving southward, but it's just a question if they will enter the restricted area around the runway.

The astronauts are deactivating Atlantis' navigational star trackers and closing the associated doors on the ship's nose.

Mission Control has given the crew a "go" to transition the onboard computers from the OPS-2 software used during the shuttle's stay in space to OPS-3, which is the software package that governs entry and landing.

Atlantis is beginning to maneuver into a new orientation in space to improve the communications link with NASA's orbiting data relay satellite network.

Space shuttle Atlantis' 60-foot-long payload bay doors have been closed and locked in preparation for today's descent into Earth's atmosphere and landing at Kennedy Space Center. The deorbit burn remains scheduled for 7:41 a.m., with touchdown at 8:48 a.m. EDT (1248 GMT).

Mission Control has given the "go" to the astronauts for payload bay door closing.

Although it took a while longer today, the crew completed the steps to bypass the shuttle's radiators on the insides of the payload bay doors and checked out of the ship's flash evaporator cooling system for entry.

So far, weather continues to look good.

Atlantis skipper Ken Ham reports he is suited up and now in his seat.

Here's a look at the crew's timeline for the first landing opportunity today: (all times EDT)

12:20 AM......Crew wakeup
03:41 AM......Begin deorbit timeline
03:56 AM......Radiator stow
04:06 AM......Mission specialists seat installation
04:12 AM......Computers set for deorbit prep
04:16 AM......Hydraulic system configuration
04:41 AM......Flash evaporator cooling system checkout
04:47 AM......Final payload deactivation
05:01 AM......Payload bay doors closed
05:11 AM......Mission control 'go' for OPS-3
05:21 AM......OPS-3 entry software transition
05:46 AM......Entry switch list verification
05:56 AM......Deorbit maneuver update
06:01 AM......Crew entry review
06:16 AM......Commander, pilot don entry suits
06:33 AM......Inertial measurement unit alignment
06:41 AM......Commander, pilot strap in; others don suits
06:58 AM......Shuttle steering check
07:01 AM......Hydraulic system prestart
07:08 AM......Toilet deactivation

07:21 AM......Mission control 'go' for deorbit burn
07:27 AM......Astronauts strap in
07:36 AM......Single hydraulic power unit start

07:41:59 AM...Deorbit ignition
07:45:09 AM...Deorbit burn complete

08:16:28 AM...Entry interface
08:21:26 AM...1st roll command to left
08:34:47 AM...1st roll left to right
08:35:14 AM...C-band radar acquisition
08:41:43 AM...Velocity less than mach 2.5
08:43:56 AM...Velocity less than mach 1
08:44:09 AM...Right turn to runway 33
08:48:14 AM...Landing

The current observed conditions at the Kennedy Space Center runway are "go" for a landing. The rain showers over the Atlantic are staying outside the restricted 30-mile zone, giving Mission Control some optimism about the weather this morning.

"You got any advance intel on how the moisture's looking at the Cape?" commander Ken Ham asked early today.

"Well, as you can imagine, we've been staring at the same radar screen for a couple of hours," CAPCOM Charlie Hobaugh replied from Houston. "And it's actually looking pretty favorable. There are some spotty showers that are out over the water that are north, headed south, a chance of showers within 30 miles, but we think we'e got a pretty good fighting chance."

"Okey doke. 50-50," Ham quipped.

"That's right. Hopefully we're on the good side of that 50."

The crew is putting away the flight plan and opening the deorbit preparation checklists.

Commander Ken Ham is preparing to perform an alignment of Atlantis' inertial measurement units in the ship's guidance system.

The official weather forecast for this morning's first landing opportunity calls for scattered clouds at 3,000 and 8,000 feet, good visibility and northwesterly winds from 330 degrees at 9 peaking to 15 knots. The concern, however, is the chance of showers within 30 miles of the runway that would violate the landing weather rules.

The outlook for the landing opportunity one orbit later has the same conditions except a bit windier at 12 peaking to 18 knots.

The entry team of flight controllers has arrived inside Mission Control. Overseeing today's return of Atlantis is flight director Tony Ceccacci, a veteran controller of several shuttle missions. This is his first time serving as the landing flight director. Seated alongside in Houston in direct radio contact with the shuttle crew is CAPCOM astronaut Charlie Hobaugh, a previous shuttle pilot and commander.

The astronauts have awakened to get Atlantis' landing day underway.

The crew has a couple of hours to eat breakfast and go about their morning routine before beginning the deorbit preparation timeline at 3:40 a.m. EDT.

The ship's 60-foot-long payload bay doors are scheduled to be closed at 5:01 a.m., followed by the transition of onboard computers to the software for entry and the crew donning its spacesuits.

A final decision whether to land on time will come around 7:20 a.m., leading to ignition of Atlantis' braking rockets at 7:41 a.m. for three minutes to start the trek home. The shuttle would hit the upper atmosphere at 8:16 a.m.

Landing at the Kennedy Space Center is scheduled for 8:48 a.m. EDT, weather permitting.

The latest version of the NASA Television schedule (Rev. J) can be downloaded here.

The Ku-band antenna assembly - used for high-speed communications and television downlink - just retracted back into the payload bay, clearing the way for the doors to be closed Wednesday morning for landing.

Space shuttle Atlantis' heat shield has been cleared for re-entry, CAPCOM Stan Love just told the astronauts. Yesterday's inspections of the wing leading edges and nose cap showed no concerns for any space debris impacts that could have occurred during the flight.

The shuttle Atlantis is in good shape and ready for re-entry and landing Wednesday, entry Flight Director Tony Ceccacci told reporters Tuesday. While a marginal "50-50" forecast raises the possibility of a waveoff, Ceccacci said conditions are expected to improve as the week wears on.

Read our full story.

Here's an updated look at the available landing opportunities for space shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the backup sites at Edwards Air Force Base in California and White Sands, New Mexico.

Only KSC will be called up Wednesday and Thursday. (all times EDT)

ORBIT...SITE..DEORBIT....LANDING

Wednesday
186.....KSC...07:41 AM...08:48 AM
187.....KSC...09:17 AM...10:22 AM

Thursday
202.....KSC...08:10 AM...09:13 AM
203.....KSC...09:46 AM...10:48 AM

Friday
217.....KSC...06:59 AM...08:02 AM
218.....KSC...08:35 AM...09:37 AM
219.....EDW...10:05 AM...11:08 AM
220.....EDW...11:41 AM...12:43 PM
........NOR...11:43 AM...12:45 PM

Saturday
233.....KSC...07:24 AM...08:27 AM
234.....NOR...08:56 AM...09:59 AM
........KSC...09:00 AM...10:03 AM
235.....EDW...10:30 AM...11:32 AM
........NOR...10:32 AM...11:34 AM
236.....EDW...12:06 PM...01:08 PM

The Atlantis astronauts tested the shuttle's re-entry systems early Tuesday and packed for a Florida landing Wednesday, weather permitting, to close out a successful space station assembly mission, the orbiter's 32nd and final planned flight.

Read our full story.

"Just looking ahead at the weather tomorrow, it's looking pretty favorable," astronaut Charlie "Scorch" Hobaugh radioed from Mission Control. "They are carrying a chance of rain showers within 30 miles, they've been watching it today, and a low that's about 600 miles off shore will move a little tomorrow and hopefully keep some of those showers at bay. It's just something we'll have to watch tomorrow. As you know, it's always questionable no matter what.

"The winds tomorrow will be moderate strength right down (runway) 33. Right now, if we were to call it, it would be a close-in aim point to 33 and we also would have the option to go land on (runway) 15 with a rather large speedbrake. So early projection is we think we've got a pretty good fighting chance, but of course, we'll be watching it."

"OK, Scorch, we really appreciate the update," commander Ken Ham replied. "Sounds like it's 50-50, either we land there or we don't. We'll take either end of the runway, whichever one you prefer. I guess if you think it might rain, we'll land on 15 and coast all the way to the OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility)."

"We like your plan," Hobaugh said. "The other thing, we'll reassess tomorrow if necessary, hopefully you won't have to get that far, but there is that thought right now that we'll just plan KSC the first two days and Friday will be our all-the-way-around, we'll-get-you-down-no-matter-what type day. So we'll reassess that tomorrow if we get to that point. But like I said, we hope to get you back tomorrow."

The hot-fire test has been accomplished with no problems reported.

The flight control system checkout went well. The astronauts are getting ready to perform the reaction control system hot-fire. The thrusters on the nose and tail of the shuttle will be pulsed as part of the continuing entry and landing checks for tomorrow's homecoming by Atlantis.

The astronauts are checking out the onboard suite of sensors and navigation devices. Upcoming on the list of activities will be checking the entry-critical switches in the cockpit, testing the nose wheel steering system and evaluating the heads-up displays used during landing.

The crew has successfully completed the flight control system checkout, starting up one of the Auxiliary Power Units for the orbiter's hydraulics and moving the aerosurfaces through a planned test pattern.

Auxiliary Power Unit No. 1 has been fired up for the flight control system checkout.

Atlantis' astronauts have awakened to begin their final full day in space, weather permitting. They are due to land Wednesday morning at the Kennedy Space Center, if the forecast for rain showers doesn't materialize.

But today will be spent testing the ship's reaction control system and aerosurfaces for entry and landing, stowing away equipment for the homecoming and holding one more round of live media interviews.

There will be back-to-back orbits available on Wednesday for Atlantis to fire its braking rockets and re-enter the atmosphere for landing in Florida at 8:48 and 10:22 a.m. EDT. Ground tracks are posted here.

NASA is not calling up support from the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Wednesday or Thursday.

The Atlantis astronauts completed a final inspection of the shuttle's carbon composite nose cap and wing leading edge panels Monday to make sure the ship's most critical heat shield components were not damaged by orbital debris of micrometeoroids since a similar inspection the day after launch.

Read our full story.

NASA has released maps showing the path shuttle Atlantis will follow during Wednesday's re-entry and landing at the Kennedy Space Center. Check them out: first orbit and second orbit.

And now Atlantis' robot arm has returned to its handling fixture along the side of the shuttle's payload bay and powered down for landing.

The Orbiter Boom Sensor System has been berthed in the payload bay, its job complete for the mission. Analysts on the ground will be examining all of the imagery gathered and should have the heat shield cleared of any concern by Tuesday afternoon.

The latest version of the NASA Television schedule (Rev. I) can be downloaded here.

The crew will put the inspection boom in its cradle in the payload bay in a little while.

The surveys are now finished. The inspection hardware worked well today. Spacewalkers untangled a punched cable that prevented the pan and tilt unit from working during the day-after-launch heat shield checks last weekend.

Observations of the port wing are now underway aboard shuttle Atlantis. This is the third and final part of the inspections for today.

Inspections of Atlantis' reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap are now complete.

The right wing has been scanned using the laser and camera package of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The crew is swinging the boom in position to inspect Atlantis' nose cap next.

The Atlantis astronauts are working through a final inspection of the shuttle's carbon composite nose cap and wing leading edge panels to make sure the ship's most critical heat shield components have not been damaged by orbital debris of micrometeoroids since a similar inspection the day after launch.

Read our full story.

And the heat shield inspections have commenced.

The setup tasks and testing of the inspection sensors have gone well. The crew is getting ready to start the scans on Atlantis' starboard wing.

Jumping into this morning's activities well ahead of schedule, the astronauts are maneuvering the inspection boom over to the right-hand wing in preparation for the heat shield checks.

Now flying on their own after leaving the space station on Sunday, the space shuttle Atlantis astronauts have been awakened for Flight Day 11 that'll see the crew use the Orbiter Boom Sensor System to inspect the heat shield a final time before entry.


Read our earlier status center coverage.