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The launch was held up for some time due to ice buildup on one of Atlantis' fuel lines. Additionally, there was concern over possible weather problems at one of the shuttle's emergency landing sites in Spain. Slightly delayed, the shuttle still made launch.
As indicated, this is the last repair mission for the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble was launched 19 years ago. They are carrying many custom tools, including ones specifically designed not just for this repair mission but for contingencies for this mission.
The space shuttle crew will be required to fix things that weren't designed to be easily replaced. They'll have to open up panels and remove and replace circuit boards directly in the guts of the Hubble.
Space Shuttle Atlantis should reach the orbiting telescope Wednesday, after taking a day to catch the space telescope as well as give the shuttle's skin the typical once-over.
The 11-day mission was originally canceled after the Columbia disaster, but was reinstated two years after the accident. The mission should prolong the lifespan of the Hubble for at least five years, and perhaps as long as ten.
Posted May 11th, 2009 by Michael Santo
