Shuttle astronauts gain extra day in space

USA Today:

HOUSTON — The space shuttle era will last a little longer, NASA mission controllers decided on Monday, extending the Atlantis mission an extra day.

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  NASA, Getty Images
  Astronauts Chris Ferguson and Doug Hurley are pictured at the commander's station and pilot's station, respectively, on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting NASA space shuttle Atlantis.

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NASA, Getty Images

Atlantis should land in darkness at 5:56 a.m. ET on July 21, shuttle program deputy manager LeRoy Cain said. The decision results from the projection that the shuttle's veteran crew will finish planned activities with at least 30 extra hours of power remaining for the mission.

"The mission continues to go well, and we are committed to finishing strong," Cain said.