Shuttle Endeavour's astronauts left the International Space Station a day early and inspected their ship one final time Sunday to make sure it's safe for re-entry.
NASA is getting prepared for a Tuesday landing, a day ahead of schedule, to avoid any disruptions to flight operations in case Hurricane Dean hits Houston.
As of Sunday, Hurricane Dean was considered hardly any threat to Mission Control, but mission managers did not want to chance it.
In preparation for Endeavour's descent through the atmosphere, the astronauts surveyed the wings and nose, using a laser-tipped boom that hunted for possible micrometeorite damage.