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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Atlantis and its seven-man crew were homeward bound after leaving the international space station and checking the thermal casing of their ship Monday for the ride back to Earth.
The space shuttle is due back Wednesday. Good weather is expected at Cape Canaveral, but if that changes, NASA will guide Atlantis to the backup touchdown site in California to give the military time enough time to shoot down a damaged spy satellite without endangering the shuttle.
Just about the time Atlantis was undocking, another shuttle, Endeavour, was reaching the launch pad for the next flight to the space station. That liftoff is targeted for March 11.
