Space shuttle Atlantis and its astronauts delivered a sparkling new lab to the international space station, but had to delay installing it by a day because of a crew member’s medical problem.

Astronauts on Atlantis spent their first full day in orbit checking their ship for any launch damage as they steered closer to the international space station.

Astronauts on Atlantis spent their first full day in orbit today checking their ship for any launch damage, as they steered closer to the international space station.

Astronauts aboard space shuttle Discovery and the international space station joined forces, linking their ships and kicking off the biggest construction job ever attempted by a single team in orbit.

Discovery's astronauts used lasers and digital cameras to examine the shuttle's wings for any signs of launch damage as they gained on the International Space Station with every circling of Earth.

An astronaut’s ripped glove forced an early end to a spacewalk and added to Nasa’s headaches as shuttle managers put off a decision on whether to order risky repairs for a deep gouge on Endeavour’s belly.

Nasa conducted a swift series of tests on the ground to determine whether spacewalking astronauts need to fix a deep gouge in Endeavour’s belly for re-entry, and assembled a special team to weigh the repair options.

TWO astronauts began a spacewalk yesterday to replace equipment on the international space station as NASA experts calculated whether the shuttle Endeavour’s crew would need to repair a gouge on the ship’s belly.

Two astronauts began a spacewalk today to replace equipment on the international space station as Nasa experts calculated whether the shuttle Endeavour’s crew would need to repair a gouge on the ship’s belly.

Nasa is urgently calculating whether risky spacewalk repairs are needed today, after a close-up inspection revealed that a three and a half inch-long gouge penetrated the thermal shielding on the shuttle’s belly.

THE crew of the space shuttle Endeavour unpacked their ship’s robot arm yesterday, latched on an extension to double its length and deployed it beneath the spaceship to image heat shield damage that occurred during their launch last week.

Nasa discovered a worrisome gouge on Endeavour’s belly soon after the shuttle docked with the international space station, possibly caused by ice that broke off the fuel tank a minute after lift-off.

NASA engineers will today try to determine whether the space shuttle Endeavour was damaged when foam insulation broke off the fuel tank, as it manoeuvres toward the international space station.

More than 3,000 retail jobs were saved today after the childrenswear chain Adams was bought out of administration.

Space shuttle Discovery decamped from the international space station today to begin the return trip to Earth.

A key test of a daring yet wobbly spacewalking technique that could be used someday to repair space shuttle heat shields worked well yesterday and got good reviews from two astronauts from the shuttle Discovery, which probably won’t need quick fixes, Nasa officials said.

It was moving-in day today for the crew of Discovery, which planned to unload thousands of kilos of supplies and cargo from the US space shuttle to the international space station.

NASA managers were last night not ruling out a July 4 launch for space shuttle Discovery, even after inspectors found a five-inch-long crack in the foam insulation on its external fuel tank.

Space shuttle Discovery escaped damage from the potentially deadly chunk of foam that broke off from the fuel tank during lift-off, but may have been struck in the wing by a much smaller piece, Nasa says.

In what was billed Nasa's longest spacewalk, two astronauts have re-arranged the outside of the International Space Station to make room for an Italian cargo carrier.