Space Shuttle mission managers today completed their assessment of Discovery's fitness to handle the rigors of re-entry into the atmosphere.
We have cleared Discovery to re-enter," said Wayne Hale, chairman of the Mission Management Team (MMT), during a news conference at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston.

The MMT determined the Orbiter's heat shield and other systems are in good shape. They also decided a spacewalk is unnecessary to repair damage to a thermal blanket on Discovery's outer skin.