The ISS is being stocked up with larger spare parts
prior to shuttle retirement.

The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis are preparing to land in Florida after their 11-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Nasa said it was expecting sunny skies when the shuttle touched down at the Kennedy Space Center, currently scheduled to take place at 1444 GMT.

During the mission, astronauts equipped the ISS with nearly 14,000kg (30,000lbs) of spare parts.

Five more shuttle flights are planned before the fleet's retirement in 2010.

"We got a lot accomplished," Atlantis' commander Charlie Hobaugh told ABC News as the astronauts finished a Thanksgiving Day meal that included pre-packaged smoked turkey and cornbread dressing.

"It was a fantastic mission," he added.

The astronauts took up pump modules, gas tanks, two control moment gyroscopes and components for the space station's robotic arm.

More of the story,
click image