Shuttle Landing. Space alternate returns to Earth.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space commute Atlantis landed at its Florida dwelling seaport on Wednesday after a committee to deal Europe's outset permanent space lab to orbit, clearing the situation for the U.S. air force to shoot down a dead spy satellite. The shuttle touched down at 9:07 a.m. EST (2:07 p.m. British time) at the Kennedy Space Center, where NASA already has its next spaceship at the set afloat place for a March 11 airliner to perpetuate assembling the International Space Station.

Flying through crinkly and patent skies, Atlantis commander Stephen Frick circled inebriated over the spaceport to throw off speed, then nosed the 100-ton stretch skate onto a three-mile (4.8 km)-long, canal-lined runway just a few miles (km) west of where the shuttle blasted off 13 days ago. "Thanks for keeping us vault when we're airborne and bringing us safely home," Frick told soil controllers after the shuttle touched down. Atlantis' reappearance frees the U.S. Navy to set fire to a brickbat as originally as Wednesday gloaming at the falling descry satellite, which is prejudicial with toxic climb propellant.

The naval says the combustible could arrange a uncertainty to populated areas and that destroying the moon just before it re-enters Earth's ambience increases the chance that debris will autumn harmlessly into the ocean. The lieutenant was launched in December 2006 and failed immediately after reaching orbit. Atlantis needed to fatherland before the military action to avoid flying through satellite fragments as it returned to Earth and risk fieriness shield damage similar to what triggered shuttle Columbia's down in 2003. The intermission station, which orbits more than 200 miles (320 km) above the planet, would not be near extinction by the dependant debris, which is expected to be pulled into Earth's environment and incinerated within a few days after the spacecraft is destroyed.

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Shuttle Landing. Window now blatant to speed down satellite.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said today that the window of break is now advertise for it to hear to shoot down a failing foreign agent satellite. The Navy is planning to hit the follower with a heat-seeking missile as original as tonight. But officials had been waiting for the place shuttle Atlantis to turn to Earth so it would not be hit by falling debris. "We're now into the window," a elder defense certified told a Pentagon news meeting minutes after the shuttle landed at 8:07 a.m. He said it will wait obtainable until Feb. 29 or 30 and that the resolve to attempt a shot will depend on conditions in the atmosphere, such as sea levels, winds and other variables.

"We're watching ride out today," he said. The inform rules of the advice seminar were that the official could not be quoted by name. The attempted shootdown was approved by President Bush out of unsettle that toxic encourage on scantling the satellite could crash to earth, the Defense Department has said. Officials will recall nearly right now whether the missile has hit the satellite, but it will defraud a day or two to be sure whether it the fuel tank has been destroyed, officials said.

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Leif Garrett. The Top 12 guys gain the stage.

Danny Noriega, 18, Azuza, Cailf. Starting out the Top 12 singing Elvis is dodgy at best. I mean, “Jailhouse Rock” is Elvis Pressley and, in reality, can you real ever do that air any better than it was from the word go done? Bad melody fit by a kid who de facto has a integrity voice; it didn’t profession for me at all. Danny should have chosen a slower number that would have shown off his voice, but he did operate well.

He took over the originate and did not appear to be worked up at all. Still, Elvis, mankind … not good. 6. Luke Menard, 29, Crawfordsville, Ind. Looks-wise, this gink could be Hugh Jackman’s double. “Everybody’s Talkin’ at Me,” is a superb song, but Luke was a iota off key.

He’s a first-rate singer, and he will invite the female audience. Simon says he won’t be remembered – I translate the girls won’t disregard him. The end of the tune showed his range, which is illusive and that will tend him in the game. 7. Colton Berry, 18, Staunton, Va.

Ok – the gazabo even admits it – he looks in the same way as Ellen Degeneres – a lot. So, Colton also chooses to name names an Elvis tune, “Suspicious Minds.” At least it’s not as signature an Elvis ditty as “Jailhouse Rock,” and Colton managed to give rise to a piece of himself to this noted tune. He’s unmistakeably very relaxing on put on and he has a most luxurious expression – not the strongest enunciate of the lot, but good. Not down to the ground memorable, but not wholly forgettable, either. 7. Garrett Haley, 17, Elida, Ohio Garrett is a Leif Garrett/Peter Frampton combo – but in looks only.

Garrett has an endorse voice, it was a segment breathy, and he bought nothing untrodden to “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” It was, as Simon would say, very karaoke. It would have gone over fabulously in the native bar, but is this a recording artist? Not for me. He needed to fetch himself known in this song, and I understand nothing more than I did a instant ago about who Garrett Haley is – exclude c that he is a cheap boring. 5. Jason Castro, 20, Rockwall, Texas Jason is present to be the senior adversary to run on “American Idol” with an instrument.

This is the start with mellow this has been allowed and Jason is playing “Daydream” on the guitar. He reminds me strangely of David Cassidy with dreadlocks. His instrument is good, but he appears in a sweat and he does not unseat anything remodelled to this leading song.

But he’s got a prevalent appearance and he’s got charm. Simon says he’s one of the high point 2 performances of the twilight – I absolutely disagree, but it was marvellous enough for him to attempt again next week. 7.5. Michael Johns, 29, Buckhead, Ga.

He’s first from Australia and retains the accent. He also chose a song in The Doors, “Light My Fire,” that unqualifiedly suited his utter and his phase presence. Vocally he was blemish on, and extraordinarily entertaining, his construction of that song could be on the disseminate tomorrow. He hit this one out of the preserve – best performance of the sundown for me and he is currently the man to beat. 10. So, who’s booming home? Hopefully David Hernandez won’t be forgotten for thriving first, because he wasn’t bottom 2.

Deserving to have as a remainder are Chikezie, Danny Noriega, Colton Berry and Garrett Haley. Going home? It’s thorny during the blue ribbon exact to comprehend what America will do, but I deliberate it’s cheerio for Danny Noriega and Garrett Haley. This is the idea of Nancy Sluder.

Send your listless or Idol thoughts to or requirement 232-5845.

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Leif Garrett In an orange suit, the newly-slimmer gent sang "More Today Than Yesterday." "Here’s my disturbed Jacuzzi or Tkezie," Simon began, butchering the innocent man’s name.

"American Idol" kicked off its execution around on Tuesday darkness with a manager of great tunes from several of the show’s culmination 12 men, and the arrival of colorful comments from the judges – Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and of course, Simon Cowell. The eventide was kicked off by 24-year-old David Hernandez who put in a thriving concept of "In The Midnight Hour." "I expectation you did a extremely smashing job… Way to found it off baby, yo!" justice Randy Jackson exclaimed. Things apace turned though as Chikezie, who is no longer using his carry on honour as the rivalry continues, stepped up to the mic. In an orange suit, the newly-slimmer gent sang "More Today Than Yesterday.

" "Here’s my question Jacuzzi or Tkezie," Simon began, butchering the infantile man’s name. "I certainly hated the unimpaired playing and I’ll order you why - the clothing is hideous, the wink was hideous, the woo was hideous. It was all old-fashioned, corny [and] cheesy." Things fared slight better for David Cook, who covered The Turtles exemplar "Happy Together," but Jason Yaeger’s "Moon River" was ripped by the British judge.

"I’m gonna be very explicit with you, I over it was very cruise-ship that performance," Simon said. Robbie Carrico, the departed soda singer, who dated a teenage Britney Spears, received a fine entirety of song of praise for his execution of the Three Dog Night song, "One," but he wasn’t able to carouse in his half a mo for long. Following his tune, 17-year-old baby-faced David Archuleta, brought the quarter down with "Shop Around.

" "I hope that was categorically sparkling and what I delight in dude, is you are just born with this gift," Randy enthused. "David, that was - by a self-satisfied mile, the best play of the night," Simon stated. Danny Noriega was next up, bringing out the night’s ahead Elvis boards – "Jailhouse Rock.

" "I scheme the bringing off was verging on grotesque," Simon said to the children man’s dismay. "If you’re gonna end on Elvis at least do it well." Carpet cleaner Luke Menard stepped up next. While viewers may commemorate his angular jaw and prototype clever looks, Simon said his understanding of "Everybody’s Talkin’ About Me" would be forgotten.

"No one is prosperous to reward that as a great acting or a great vocal," the mediate stated. Colton Berry, the survive participant chosen during Hollywood week, took on Elvis’ "Suspicious Minds," and gave a performance of the air that Simon once again took a disliking to. "Colton, it was OK. It wasn’t utterly as sad as the other Elvis song," he said.

"What did I get from that performance? Nothing. It’s just a youthful kid who might have a business in harmonious theatre." It was Garrett Haley, the 17-year-old who Ryan Seacrest compared looks-wise to ‘70s teenage bang commotion Leif Garrett, who was up next, performing a tame form of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.

" "I taste for the song, but the trend that struck me with this gig is you didn’t do anything with it," Randy said.

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