May 12, 2009 — Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Monday, embarking on STS-125, the final shuttle mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Liftoff was at 2:01 p.m. EDT and Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Space Operations, said, it was a “great start to a very challenging mission.”
Click here to view the launch.
During the 11-day mission's five spacewalks, astronauts will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones, and perform the component replacements that will keep the telescope functioning into at least 2014.
Veteran astronaut Scott Altman is serving as Atlantis' commander, and retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson is the pilot. Mission specialists are veteran spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Mike Massimino, and first-time space fliers Andrew Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur.
In addition to the originally scheduled work, Atlantis also will carry a replacement Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit for Hubble. Astronauts will install the unit on the telescope, removing the one that stopped working on Sept. 27, 2008, delaying the servicing mission until the replacement was ready.
Atlantis is also carrying the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, the first coin ever to feature readable Braille. Sales of the silver dollar, released by the United States Mint on March 26, 2009, will be used to support the National Federation of the Blind "Braille Readers are Leaders" campaign. The campaign is a national initiative created to double the number of blind children learning Braille by 2015.
During the STS-125 mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle website can read about the astronauts' progress and watch their five spacewalks live. Also, updates will be provided to the NASA News Twitter feed. To access the feed, click here.
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The STS-125 crew acknowledges the spectators who have gathered to wish them well on their mission aboard space shuttle Atlantis to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. From left are Mission Specialists Mike Massimino, Michael Good, Andrew Feustel, John Grunsfeld and Megan McArthur, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson and Commander Scott Altman. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo credit: NASA Television
Atlantis rises into the sky after liftoff.
Photo credit: NASA Television
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