NASA gives green light for Atlantis shuttle launch

NASA on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis after two days ofsafety inspections.The shuttle is now slated to launch on August 27 at 4:30 p.m.(2030 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to theInternational Space Station (ISS).NASA is hoping to restart construction of the half-built ISS aftera four-year hiatus following the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster,which grounded the US fleet.The space agency is planning 16 missions through 2010 to completethe ISS, before the US' ageing shuttle fleet is retired for good.