http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle en-us
The seven STS-127 astronauts wrapped up their terminal countdown demonstration test training at Kennedy on Thursday and returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The astronauts will go into quarantine on Saturday and then return to Kennedy at 12:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 9 for their final preps before Endeavour’s 7:17 a.m. launch time on Saturday, June 13.

The crew’s arrival at Kennedy on Tuesday will be aired live on NASA TV.]]> Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:58:25 GMT
Their Shuttle Training Aircraft Gulfstream II jet took off from Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 5:04 p.m. EDT after being delayed two hours by thunderstorms.

The astronauts will go into quarantine on Saturday and then return to Kennedy at 12:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 9 for their final preps before Endeavour’s 7:17 a.m. launch time on Saturday, June 13.

The crew’s arrival at Kennedy on Tuesday will be aired live on NASA TV.]]> Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:19:07 GMT
On Wednesday, NASA managers completed a review of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected June 13 as the official launch date for the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 7:17 a.m. EDT.]]> Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:13:40 GMT
On Wednesday, NASA managers completed a review of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected June 13 as the official launch date for the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 7:17 a.m. EDT.]]> Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:39:59 GMT
"Folks have done a tremendous job getting ready to go fly again," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations. Gerstenmaier cited the recent STS-125 mission flown by space shuttle Atlantis as a factor in today's flight readiness review, and commented on the complexity of the STS-127 mission timeline, which includes five spacewalks and intricate robotics work. "It will be a very challenging mission."]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:34:28 GMT
"Folks have done a tremendous job getting ready to go fly again," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations. Gerstenmaier cited the recent STS-125 mission flown by space shuttle Atlantis as a factor in today's flight readiness review, and commented on the complexity of the STS-127 mission timeline, which includes five spacewalks and intricate robotics work. "It will be a very challenging mission."]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:44:28 GMT
Meanwhile, managers are meeting today at Kennedy for the Agency-level Flight Readiness Review for STS-127. The meeting will be followed by a news conference, which will be televised on NASA TV.

Watch NASA TV at: www.nasa.gov/ntv]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:08:31 GMT
The piggyback pair left Edwards Monday morning and flew to Biggs Army Air Field adjacent to El Paso, Texas, where it remained overnight.

The 747-shuttle combo then flew to Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday morning for refueling, and then continued on to Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi on the third leg of the cross-country journey. After refueling again at Columbus Tuesday afternoon, the modified Boeing 747 with Atlantis atop flew on to Kennedy, performing a low-level flyby of Florida's space coast beaches and the space center before touching down at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway at 6:53 p.m. EDT.

Atlantis landed at Edwards May 24 at the conclusion of the STS-125 mission to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, after poor weather in Florida prevented landing there.]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:09:27 GMT


Atlantis on top of its modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft departed Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi at 4:37 p.m. EDT (3:37 p.m. CDT). The flight to Kennedy is expected to take about an hour and 50 minutes.



Weather permitting, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will approach Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility from the south, providing a fly-by of Space Coast beaches before landing at about 6:30 p.m. EDT.



Atlantis’ arrival will be broadcast live on NASA Television.]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:06:10 GMT
The ferry flight will depart Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi at approximately 5:40 p.m. EDT (3:40 p.m. CDT). Atlantis is expected to arrive at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 6:30 p.m. EDT.]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:34:23 GMT Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:55:57 GMT Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:30:44 GMT
Managers met this morning for a weather briefing. They decided that Atlantis' departure on top of a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from Biggs Army Air Field, in El Paso, Texas now will take place no earlier than 8:40 a.m. EDT (6:40 a.m. MDT).

The ferry flight team will continue to assess the weather to determine the best route to take from Texas to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Managers now estimate the earliest arrival at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility will be about 6 p.m. EDT.]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:55:09 GMT Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:42:02 GMT Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:27:53 GMT
Atlantis and a crew of seven astronauts landed at Edwards on May 24, concluding the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope for the last time.]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:08:35 GMT
Atlantis and a crew of seven astronauts landed at Edwards on May 24, concluding the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope for the last time.]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:18:58 GMT
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and Atlantis are scheduled to depart Edwards at 11 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. PDT) today. The pair will fly to Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas and spend the night there before resuming the cross-country trip tomorrow.]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:12:45 GMT
Managers now will meet for a pretake-off weather briefing at 9 a.m. EDT (6 a.m. PDT) for a target departure time of 11 a.m. EDT (8 a.m.) from Edwards.

Technicians encountered some difficulties while trying to tighten a bolt on the right attach point for connecting Atlantis to its modified Boeing 747 aircraft. The bolt now is securely in place, and Atlantis almost is ready to begin its ferry flight back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Weather permitting, Atlantis could be back at its Florida home Tuesday night, where space shuttle Endeavour is being prepared for its upcoming STS-127 mission to the International Space Station.

Endeavour was moved Sunday from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B to Launch Pad 39A and was secured to pad A at 11:42 a.m. EDT.]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:12:09 GMT
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Endeavour completed its 3.4 mile trek from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B to Launch Pad 39A and was secured to the pad at 11:42 a.m. Sunday, May 31. First motion was at 3:16 a.m.]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 21:02:06 GMT
The STS-125 ferry flight departure is currently planned for 8:20 a.m. EDT (5:20 a.m. PDT) Monday, June 1. There will be a weather briefing at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT) Sunday. Flight managers are looking at various options for the best route to the Kennedy Space Center. Weather remains very dynamic.

The mate of Atlantis to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was completed at 7:55 a.m. EDT (4:55 a.m. PDT).]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 15:58:15 GMT
The STS-125 ferry flight departure is now scheduled for no earlier than Monday morning. There will be a weather briefing at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT) Sunday. Flight managers are looking at various options for the best route to the Kennedy Space Center. Weather remains very dynamic.]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 13:06:45 GMT
The STS-125 ferry flight departure is scheduled for no earlier than Monday morning. There will be a weather briefing at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT) Sunday. Flight managers are looking at various options for the best route to the Kennedy Space Center. Weather remains very dynamic.]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 12:35:04 GMT Sun, 31 May 2009 02:33:42 GMT Sun, 31 May 2009 01:31:45 GMT Sat, 30 May 2009 17:53:41 GMT Sat, 30 May 2009 02:58:20 GMT Fri, 29 May 2009 13:04:53 GMT Thu, 28 May 2009 19:38:21 GMT
Before leaving the runway on Sunday, Commander Scott Altman spoke for his crew to thank everyone for getting them safely back home.

"At last! I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to get back to the Earth, landing here just felt great to everybody," said Altman.

"We're all thrilled to have the mission complete and it was a testament to the teamwork and cooperation of folks all across the country."]]> Wed, 27 May 2009 13:48:28 GMT
Space shuttle Atlantis and the seven astronauts touched down Sunday morning on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California, finishing up a 13-day mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Before leaving the runway, Commander Scott Altman spoke for his crew to thank everyone for getting them safely back home.

"At last! I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to get back to the Earth, landing here just felt great to everybody," said Altman.

"We're all thrilled to have the mission complete and it was a testament to the teamwork and cooperation of folks all across the country."]]> Tue, 26 May 2009 15:50:54 GMT
"At last! I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to get back to the Earth, landing here just felt great to everybody," said Altman.

"We're all thrilled to have the mission complete and it was a testament to the teamwork and cooperation of folks all across the country."

The STS-125 astronauts will be honored with a welcome home ceremony that will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Houston's Ellington Field.]]> Sun, 24 May 2009 18:05:16 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 17:45:15 GMT
During a press conference held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Ed Weiler said, "Now, and only now can we declare this mission a total success -- the astronauts are safely on the ground."

Weiler called NASA's Hubble Space Telescope the great comeback story. He said the public continues to be captivated by the telescope's images of the universe and he hopes to see Hubble operate into its third decade of service.

NASA Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses agreed that this was a fantastic mission. "It's good to have Atlantis back here on the ground," said Moses. He also said the crew did a great job trying to get the shuttle back to Kennedy, even though the weather wouldn't cooperate.

Mike Leinbach, NASA space shuttle launch director, congratulated the STS-125 crew and also commended the crew members who were ready and standing by in case space shuttle Endeavour was needed for a rescue mission.

He also said NASA still is targeting June 13 for Endeavour's mission to the International Space Station.]]> Sun, 24 May 2009 17:12:14 GMT
A post-landing news conference with managers at Kennedy is expected in approx. 30 minutes. The participants will be Ed Weiler, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Mike Moses, launch integration manager, and Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director. A crew news conference is tentative and will be announced later. The ceremony to welcome the astronauts back will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Houston's Ellington Field.]]> Sun, 24 May 2009 15:52:36 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 14:34:26 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 14:09:00 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 12:33:15 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 12:19:32 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 11:56:45 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 09:58:16 GMT Sun, 24 May 2009 09:42:24 GMT
Tomorrow, the first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center is at 10:11 a.m. EDT.]]> Sat, 23 May 2009 12:44:48 GMT Sat, 23 May 2009 10:14:59 GMT Sat, 23 May 2009 09:12:00 GMT Sat, 23 May 2009 08:31:49 GMT
After the weather in Florida prevented Atlantis from landing yesterday, the crew is readying for another attempt today. Landing opportunities are available at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Edwards Air Force Base in California. For the first Kennedy opportunity, the crew would execute a deorbit burn at 8:01 a.m. and land at 9:15 a.m.

Landing preparations will begin at 4 a.m. The closing of the payload bay doors is scheduled to occur at 5:22 a.m.]]> Sat, 23 May 2009 05:39:51 GMT Fri, 22 May 2009 21:28:13 GMT
Tomorrow, the first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center is at 9:16 a.m. Edwards Air Force Base in California will be activated for consideration as well.]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 12:00:02 GMT
Capcom Greg Johnson informed Atlantis Commander Scott Altman that the weather is not clearing up at Kennedy. The crew will hold in its entry timeline and await further updates.]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 10:02:10 GMT
Mission control explained that weather around Kennedy Space Center is very dynamic with thunderstorms extending from the southeast near Bermuda to the northwest, going through the 30 nautical mile circle surrounding the Shuttle Landing Facility. There are some clear areas to the south which might, over time, move north, or may stay in place. Additionally, cloud ceilings and crosswinds continue to be an issue and are under assessment.]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 09:15:52 GMT
Here is the latest SMG forecast for today's two landing opportunities. It currently is "no go" based on a prediction of broken clouds at 4000 feet, an exceedance of peak crosswinds (19 knots) and thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of the shuttle runway.]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 08:41:04 GMT
It's landing day aboard Atlantis as the astronauts make final preparations for their planned deorbit burn and touchdown at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Weather conditions may be problematic for today's landing opportunities at 10 a.m. and 11:39 a.m. due to the forecast of a broken cloud layer at 4000 feet and a chance for thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of the shuttle runway. STS-125 Entry Flight Director Norm Knight will lead his mission control team as it assesses the weather at Kennedy before giving Atlantis a "go."]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 06:49:10 GMT
Weather currently is forecast "no go" due to a prediction of broken clouds at 4000 feet and a chance of thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-125 Entry Flight Director Norm Knight and his mission control team will assess the Kennedy weather Friday before giving a "go" for the deorbit burn.]]> Thu, 21 May 2009 20:38:58 GMT
Landing time has changed slightly to 10:00:31 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. A second landing opportunity is available at 11:39 a.m.]]> Thu, 21 May 2009 11:29:09 GMT Thu, 21 May 2009 07:15:09 GMT
Mission managers completed their review of the late inspection of the shuttle’s wing leading edge and nosecap heat shield, and cleared the entire thermal protection system for safe entry. Landing is scheduled for 10:01 a.m. EDT Friday at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, weather permitting.]]> Wed, 20 May 2009 23:11:43 GMT
This morning the crew talked with members of the media at different NASA centers about the mission. Early in the afternoon the crew made a ship-to-ship call to Expedition 19 aboard the International Space Station.

The shuttle astronauts will spend the balance of the day enjoying some off duty time as they prepare for Friday’s entry and landing.]]> Wed, 20 May 2009 08:45:03 GMT Tue, 19 May 2009 22:07:46 GMT Tue, 19 May 2009 21:14:10 GMT Tue, 19 May 2009 18:07:14 GMT
Late inspection of Atlantis' heat shield is scheduled to begin at around 12:51 p.m. EDT.]]> Tue, 19 May 2009 13:37:22 GMT Tue, 19 May 2009 13:05:28 GMT Tue, 19 May 2009 10:49:33 GMT
The crew of Atlantis will bid farewell to the Hubble Space Telescope today. McArthur will operate the shuttle’s robotic arm today as she reaches out and grapples onto the telescope. She will then lift Hubble out of Atlantis’ payload bay and move it over the edge of the shuttle. Ground teams will command Hubble’s aperture door to open, which is the large shutter that protects the telescope’s primary and secondary mirrors. Final release of Hubble is scheduled for 8:53 a.m. Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Greg Johnson will guide Atlantis carefully away, before subtle thruster firings place the shuttle a safe distance from Hubble.

Later in the day, attention will turn to surveys of Atlantis’ thermal protection system, including its wing leading edge panels, nose cap and underside tiles. Imagery experts will evaluate the data to determine the health of the thermal protection system.]]> Tue, 19 May 2009 08:33:20 GMT Mon, 18 May 2009 19:27:13 GMT This is a really tremendous adventure that we’ve been on, a very challenging mission. Hubble isn’t just a satellite- it’s about humanity’s quest for knowledge."

He also thanked several people who contributed to Hubble and the servicing mission, then went on to say,

"A tour de force of tools and human ingenuity. On this mission in particular, the only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. On this mission, we tried some things that some people said were impossible….We’ve achieved that, and we wish Hubble the very best. It’s really a sign of the great country that we live in that we’re able to do things like this on a marvelous spaceship, like space shuttle Atlantis. I’m convinced that if we can solve problems, like repairing Hubble, getting into space, doing the servicing we do, travelling 17,500 mph around the Earth, we can achieve other great things, like solving the energy problems and climate problems- all of the things that are in the middle of NASA’s prime and core values. As Drew and I go into the airlock, I want to wish Hubble its own set of adventures and with the new instruments that we’ve installed that it may unlock further mysteries of the universe."]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 19:06:59 GMT
Grunsfeld and Feustel have successfully completed the New Outer Blanket Layer installation on the telescope's bay 5, bay 8 and bay 7 doors.

The spacewalkers will do some clean up work before closing up the telescope for good.

Hubble' science observations are expected to resume approximately three weeks after the shuttle departs.]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 17:52:43 GMT
The astronauts have successfully completed the Fine Guidance Sensor removal and replacement work.

For the final spacewalk task of the mission, Grunsfeld and Feustel install two, maybe three, new protective thermal insulation panels – New Outer Blanket Layers (NOBL) – on the telescope's bay 5 door, bay 8 door and, if time permits, to the bay 7 door.

They will start the work by first removing the existing insulation in that area. This task will involve removing seven clips and unhooking a wire loop holding the patch in place, and cutting two ground wires to release the original insulation. The new insulation will be installed using four latches and pressure-activated adhesive that the spacewalkers will activate by pressing a roller tool against its surface.]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 16:13:22 GMT
Grunsfeld and Feustel have successfully completed the battery installation task. They next will remove and replace one of Hubble's three Fine Guidance Sensors, FGS-2.

To remove the old sensor, Grunsfeld and Feustel will work together to unhook nine connectors. Then Grunsfeld will release one latch and install a handle on the equipment that he’ll use to carefully lift the sensor out of the telescope. He’ll carry it to a protective enclosure inside the shuttle’s cargo bay, where Feustel will be waiting to assist him in storing it and removing the new sensor. Grunsfeld will carry the new sensor back to the worksite, slide it into place and engage its one latch. Then he’ll work with Feustel to hook up its nine connectors.

The sensors are used to provide pointing information for the spacecraft. The sensors also serve as a scientific instrument for determining the precise position and motion of stars, known as astrometry. The three Fine Guidance Sensors can hold the telescope steady for scientific observations over long periods of time. The system serves as the telescope’s pointing control system and has a precision comparable to being able to hold a laser beam focused on a dime 200 miles away, the distance from Washington D.C. to New York City.]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 13:50:40 GMT
Grunsfeld is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. Feustel is wearing an all white spacesuit.

For this spacewalk, the astronauts will begin with some setup tasks and then move to install the second battery group replacement in an equipment bay above the Wide Field Camera 2 and next to the compartment where the first battery set was installed on the second spacewalk of the flight.

The two astronauts then will remove and replace one of the three Fine Guidance Sensors, FGS-2, used to provide pointing information for the spacecraft. Grunsfeld and Feustel’s last task before closing up the telescope for good will be to remove and replace thermal blankets (NOBL) protecting Hubble’s electronics.]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 12:30:47 GMT Mon, 18 May 2009 11:37:31 GMT
During the STS-125 mission's eighth day, astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel will make their third and the mission's fifth and final spacewalk. Scheduled to begin work at 9:16 a.m. EDT, the spacewalkers will replace the final set of batteries for Hubble, replace a sensor needed for precisely pointing the telescope to gaze at its celestial targets and replace blankets on its exterior.]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 09:36:27 GMT Sun, 17 May 2009 23:15:05 GMT Sun, 17 May 2009 21:52:00 GMT
STIS' electronics card was successfully installed and the new cover mounted. Due to the length of today's spacewalk caused by the bolt removal issue, the New Outer Blanket Layer work planned for installation will not happen. Mission timeliners will work various options for tomorrow's fifth and final spacewalk.

The astronauts now are doing cleanup work before closing Hubble's door and returning to the airlock to conclude today's work outside the shuttle.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 20:39:13 GMT
Massimino and Good have successfully removed the STIS cover plate, unscrewing 111 fasteners.

With the plate out of the way, Massimino will be able to finally access the electronics card that he and Good will replace. To actually remove the old card, Massimino will use a card extraction tool, just as Grunsfeld did during the third spacewalk. He’ll then store it in a transport case, detach the extraction tool and use the tool to unpack and install the new card. He’ll also install the new card’s simpler cover, which only requires him to engage two locking pins.

The remaining STIS work is estimated to take about 2 hours, 40 minutes.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 19:19:06 GMT
Now that the clamp and handrail has been removed from STIS's cover plate, the crew is returning to their planned STIS tasks. The cover plate itself has 111 fasteners that need to be unscrewed. To ensure that none of those small pieces float away, another fastener capture plate will be installed. But to install the fastener capture plate, Massimino must first install guide studs that will be used to mount the plate onto the instrument. To install the guide studs, Massimino will have to release four fasteners without losing the fasteners or their bits. For that job, he’ll use the retainer installation bit caddy, which uses a retaining ring to go around the head of the fasteners and behind it to trap the washer. Then four fasteners can be removed with a fastener extraction bit, and their washers will stay in place to be removed by a washer extraction tool.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 17:14:53 GMT
Astronaut Massimino removed the handrail by manually pulling it out of place.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 17:03:48 GMT
Massimino now will attempt to remove the handrail by taking out all the other fasteners and bend the handrail to try and break it off.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 16:47:56 GMT
Massimino is wearing a spacesuit marked with broken horizontal stripes. Good is wearing a spacesuit with barber pole red stripes.

The spacewalk will start with some setup tasks and the opening of the telescope's bay doors. Massimino and Good will spend the bulk of their spacewalk time repairing Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph – a task that has been compared to brain surgery. To access the electronics card the spacewalkers intend to replace, they’ll need to remove a cover plate. However, there are several obstacles to doing so. First, Massimino will need to remove a clamp from the upper left corner of the cover plate. Then he’ll need to remove a handrail. Both of these tasks require special tools to catch the fasteners currently holding those pieces in place. The clamp removal tool fits over the fasteners of the clamp and catches them as they’re released; the handrail removal tool does the same over the fasteners of the handrail.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 13:50:30 GMT
This is the fourth of five planned spacewalks of the STS-125 mission, and the second of the mission for Massimino and Good. Massimino will wear a spacesuit marked with broken horizontal red stripes. Good’s spacesuit is marked with barber pole red stripes.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 11:02:00 GMT Sun, 17 May 2009 10:18:52 GMT
During the STS-125 mission's seventh day, astronauts Massimino and Michael Good and are set to make their second and the mission's fourth spacewalk. Scheduled to begin work at 9:16 a.m. EDT, the spacewalkers will repair and upgrade the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, which stopped working in 2004 due to power failures, and install a stainless steel blanket on Hubble’s exterior. The blankets provide additional thermal protection for some equipment bays, replacing the existing multi-layer insulation that has degraded over time.]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 09:38:48 GMT Sat, 16 May 2009 20:17:07 GMT
Grunsfeld has removed all four electronics cards. Part 1 of the Advanced Camera for Surveys repairs has been completed. The crew is almost an hour ahead of the timeline. As a result, they have been given a "go" to press on to the ACS electronics box replacement, which will be powered by a separate low-voltage power supply. The replacement power supply draws power from the ACS’ primary power connectors via an astronaut-installed splitter cable.]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 18:35:00 GMT
Grunsfeld and Feustel have removed the cover plate, unscrewing 32 fasteners. Grunsfeld now has access to the electronics cards. Feustel is retrieving and handing him a piece of equipment called a “wishbone” that will be used to mount the tool that will be used to extract the electronic cards from the camera. To actually remove the card, Grunsfeld will use a card extraction tool that has a jaw to grip the card, which Grunsfeld tightens by tightening bolts, and an elevator block that removes the card when Grunsfeld tightens a different bolt.]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 18:09:28 GMT
COSTAR was removed and stored for its return, and COS successfully installed on the telescope. Grunsfeld and Feustel now will begin work on the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) repair. The spacewalkers will spend about two hours and 10 minutes working on the camera and will remove two of the four electronics cards that need to be replaced. Grunsfeld’s first task will be to install four guide studs that will be used later to install tools. Feustel will assist him with that job, and then the two will work together to remove a grid. To do so, Grunsfeld will fit a grid cutter over the grid. Tightening the 12 bolts on the grid cutter will cause a blade to cut off the 12 legs of the grid. The grid cutter also will trap the pieces of the grid, so that the spacewalkers don’t have to handle the sharp edges created by cutting the grid off.]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 17:03:34 GMT
COSTAR has been removed from Hubble and now is temporarily stowed. COSTAR is the corrective optics package installed on the first Hubble servicing mission that enabled the scientific instruments to compensate for the telescope’s misshapen primary mirror.

Both crew members will next move to the protective enclosure that the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph was launched in and work together to remove it. They will need to disconnect a ground strap, disengage locks and release latches before Feustel will be able to remove the equipment from the carrier and make his way via robotic arm back to the telescope for its installation. Feustel will maneuver the equipment into place and engage its two latches. Grunsfeld will then hook up four connectors and a ground strap. Following that installation, the only thing left to do on the task will be to store the COSTAR in the protective enclosure that previously housed the spectrograph.]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 15:10:28 GMT
Grunsfeld is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. Feustel is wearing an all white spacesuit.

For this spacewalk, the spacewalkers will focus on the installation of the telescope’s new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, and the first part of the Advanced Camera for Surveys repair work.

Grunsfeld will begin by preparing a temporary storage fixture in the shuttle’s cargo bay, while Feustel opens the doors of the telescope bay he and Grunsfeld will be working in. Grunsfeld then will get the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement – or COSTAR – ready for removal by unhooking four connectors, disconnecting one ground strap and unscrewing two latches. Feustel, again on the shuttle’s robotic arm, will actually remove the equipment and attach it to the temporary storage fixture prepared by Grunsfeld.

The spacewalk is scheduled to last 6.5 hours.]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 13:41:20 GMT
Grunsfeld and Mission Specialist Drew Feustel are preparing for the third spacewalk of Atlantis’ mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Today’s spacewalk, slated to begin at 9:16 a.m., will focus on the removal of the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement, the installation of the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the repair of the Advanced Camera for Surveys.]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 09:41:29 GMT Fri, 15 May 2009 20:53:19 GMT ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 20:00:56 GMT
The spacewalk is about 1 hour 50 minutes behind the timeline.
]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 19:41:29 GMT

]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 18:55:06 GMT
Massimino and Good are now working to perform the first half of the mission’s battery replacement work. From the telescope’s Bay 2, they'll replace the first of two batteries. Good will retrieve the old battery by disconnecting six electrical connectors and unscrewing 14 bolts, while Massimino retrieves the new battery from its stowage location inside the shuttle’s super lightweight interchangeable carrier. He’ll have to unscrew 12 bolts to remove it. The two astronauts will swap batteries at the carrier, and Good will transport the new battery to the telescope for installation, while Massimino stows the old.
]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 17:56:11 GMT ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 17:13:36 GMT ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 16:38:47 GMT ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 16:11:13 GMT ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 14:31:46 GMT
The flash evaporators reject heat loads from cooling loops during ascent and reentry. They are located in the shuttle's aft fuselage.

This issue is being worked by ground teams and does not pose an immediate concern. It also does not in any way impact today's spacewalk.
]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 13:34:40 GMT
Massimino is wearing a spacesuit marked with broken horizontal stripes. He has two previous spacewalks in support of Hubble during STS-109.

This is Good's first spacewalk. He is wearing a spacesuit with barber pole red stripes.

Massimino and Good will spend the bulk of their spacewalk time replacing three rate sensor units. Each unit is part of a rate gyro assembly, which sense vehicle motion and provide rate data for the telescope.

The replacement units are stored inside a protective enclosure inside the shuttle’s cargo bay. Massimino will open the lid of the enclosure to allow Good, who will be riding the space shuttle’s robotic arm, to retrieve the first unit and carry it to the telescope. Massimino also will retrieve a gripper tool that Good will use to maneuver the units into place.
]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 12:59:04 GMT ]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 11:27:03 GMT
During the STS-125 mission's fifth day, astronauts Good and Mike Massimino and are set to make the second of five Hubble servicing spacewalks. Scheduled to begin work at 8:16 a.m. EDT, the spacewalkers are set to replace three rate sensor units and the telescope’s Bay 2 batteries. The spacewalk is set to last six and a half hours.
]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 08:56:18 GMT
We had an issue on today's spacewalk with a bolt critical to removing the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. We tried using different tools and were eventually able to remove the bolt using a reconfigured ratchet tool.

If the bolt broke, there's nothing else we could have done. We would not have been able to install The Wide Field Camera III.

The WFPC 2 will eventually end up at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.

They replaced the SIC&DH unit as well. That, with the WFC III installation, makes two of our three top priorities accomplished. The third priority is the installation of the new gyroscopes.

We were able to install one of the three latch-over center kits. This was a get-ahead task for EVA 3. They had some difficulty with the other two, installing a latch repair on one of the bolts, and partially installed a second lock. That door is now secure for when it's revisited on the mission's third spacewalk.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 22:47:39 GMT Thu, 14 May 2009 22:39:51 GMT
Today's mission status briefing, originally scheduled for 3:30 p.m., will now begin at 5 p.m. The participants will be Tony Ceccacci, STS-125 lead flight director, Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, STS-125 lead EVA officer, Jon Morse, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters, Preston Burch, HST Program manager, and Dave Leckrone, HST Senior Scientist, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Md.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 20:17:11 GMT ]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 19:32:00 GMT
Their final scheduled task for the day will be to install three latch-over-center kits that will allow for faster opening and closing of the telescope doors during the third spacewalk.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 18:07:00 GMT ]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 16:51:23 GMT
The spacewalkers’ next major task will be the replacement of the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit. The computer sends commands to Hubble’s science instruments and formats science data for transmission to the ground.

The on orbit unit experienced computer anomalies in September 2008. NASA decided that the prudent thing to do was to delay the planned October 2008 launch of Atlantis on the Hubble servicing mission until this ground spare was ready to fly.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 16:26:40 GMT ]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 15:08:29 GMT ]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 15:00:53 GMT ]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 14:54:51 GMT

]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 14:26:40 GMT
Inside the station, McArthur is maneuvering Feustel into position for the removal of the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, or WFPC 2. They’ll replace it with a new wide-field camera that will allow the telescope to take large-scale, clear and detailed photos over a wide range of colors. Grunsfeld is taking advantage of the time it takes Feustel to get into place by installing a protective cover on Hubble’s low-gain antenna. Once that’s done, he’ll join Feustel at the WFPC 2.

To remove the camera, Feustel will simply release a blind-mate connector, a grounding strap and a latch, and allow the camera to slide out on some guide rails, while Grunsfeld monitors the camera’s clearance. The camera will be temporarily stored on the fixture Grunsfeld deployed, while the astronauts move on to the installation of the new Wide Field Camera 3.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 13:42:11 GMT
Grunsfeld is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. He has five previous spacewalks in support of Hubble during STS-103 and STS-109.

This is Feustel's first spacewalk. He is wearing an all white spacesuit.

Mike Massimino and Michael Good will work inside the shuttle as the intravehicular officers, or spacewalk choreographers. Megan McArthur will work with the spacewalkers from the inside to operate the shuttle’s 50-foot-long robotic arm as needed.

Before proceeding to the task of removing the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, or WFPC 2, and installing WFC III, the spacewalkers will do setup work. They will release latches, set up a foot restraint on the robotic arm, install a fixture to temporarily hold equipment and the berthing and positioning system post that will protect the telescope’s solar arrays from vibration while the spacewalkers are working.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 12:55:27 GMT


Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld is wearing the spacesuit with the solid red stripe. Mission Specialist Drew Feustel is wearing the solid white spacesuit.
]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 12:30:54 GMT


During the STS-125 mission's fourth day, astronauts Grunsfeld and Feustel are set to make the first of five Hubble servicing spacewalks. Scheduled to begin work at 8:16 a.m. EDT, the spacewalkers will remove Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and replace it with the new Wide Field Camera 3, which will allow Hubble to capture a wide range of images from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths. They also will replace a failed science data processing computer that delayed Atlantis' launch last October and install a mechanism for a spacecraft to capture Hubble for de-orbit at the end of its life. The spacewalk is set to last six and a half hours.


]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 08:38:21 GMT
Meanwhile, the crew was informed that a focused inspection will not be required for any area of the shuttle. The official decision will be made during tomorrow's Mission Management Team meeting.

The crew also was notified that the imagery from scans of the underbelly and scans of the crew cabin did not sufficiently overlap, leaving a row of 16 heat shield tiles in an area of the port side of the shuttle's nose where there isn't sufficient imagery. The crew will be asked to use the arm's end effector camera to go over that area. The flight director has asked the flight activities officer to potentially insert the brief inspection into the crew's timeline on flight day 5. The survey would take 45 minutes, at most.

There was no further communication with the crew about a possible conjunction due to debris from the Chinese Fengyun-1C weather satellite. The 10 cm object was to make its closest approach to Atlantis at 7:28 p.m. EDT. It passed without incident.]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 02:04:16 GMT Wed, 13 May 2009 22:43:20 GMT Wed, 13 May 2009 19:12:19 GMT ]]> Wed, 13 May 2009 18:29:15 GMT Wed, 13 May 2009 17:18:05 GMT Wed, 13 May 2009 16:45:18 GMT ]]> Wed, 13 May 2009 16:22:25 GMT ]]> Wed, 13 May 2009 14:48:56 GMT Wed, 13 May 2009 09:08:07 GMT Tue, 12 May 2009 19:51:28 GMT ]]> Tue, 12 May 2009 18:19:51 GMT

]]> Tue, 12 May 2009 13:27:29 GMT Tue, 12 May 2009 13:11:01 GMT Tue, 12 May 2009 09:04:38 GMT ]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 19:46:45 GMT
From the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the booster officer confirmed Atlantis' trio of main engines cut off on time at 2:10 p.m. With Atlantis safely in orbit, its giant external fuel tank was jettisoned. Onboard cameras recorded the tank's condition as it fell away from Atlantis and descends toward Earth.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 18:11:10 GMT
Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts are picking up speed as they begin an 11-day mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope one last time. The climb to orbit takes about 8 1/2 minutes. Stand by for main engine cutoff at 2:10 p.m.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 18:02:11 GMT
The countdown has resumed following today's final planned hold. At Launch Pad 39A, Atlantis and crew await liftoff at 2:01 p.m. EDT, ready to begin the 11-day mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope for the final time.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 17:53:05 GMT
There are no constraints to launch. An ice formation on the liquid hydrogen umbilical is cleared for liftoff and weather remains favorable. Stand by for release of the T-9 minute hold.

Launch remains scheduled for 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 17:50:18 GMT
The countdown clock is holding at T-9 minutes. This is the last built-in hold today and is scheduled to last about 40 minutes.

A five-person "Red Team" is at the launch pad to check ice formation on the liquid hydrogen umbilical.

The weather forecast remains "go" at the launch site and the Transoceanic Abort Landing site in Moron, Spain, as the countdown clock ticks backward toward an on-time launch at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 17:13:59 GMT
The countdown clock is holding at T-9 minutes. This is the last built-in hold today and is scheduled to last about 40 minutes.

A five-person "Red Team" is at the launch pad to check ice formation on the liquid hydrogen umbilical.

The weather forecast remains "go" at the launch site and the Transoceanic Abort Landing site in Moron, Spain, as the countdown clock ticks backward toward an on-time launch at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 17:13:06 GMT ]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 17:01:12 GMT
The countdown clock is holding at T-20 minutes for 10 minutes. This is one of only two remaining built-in holds.

A five-person "Red Team" is on its way to the launch pad to check ice formation on the liquid hydrogen umbilical. Meanwhile, with the seven STS-125 astronauts safely strapped into space shuttle Atlantis, the launch pad Closeout Crew has confirmed the crew module's side hatch is properly closed and latched for flight. The Closeout Crew members will gather their equipment and depart Launch Pad 39A, retreating to a fallback area a safe distance away.

The weather forecast remains "go" at the launch site and the Transoceanic Abort Landing site in Moron, Spain, as the countdown clock ticks backward toward an on-time launch at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 16:55:18 GMT
The countdown clock is holding at T-20 minutes for 10 minutes. This is one of only two remaining built-in holds.

A five-person "Red Team" is on its way to the launch pad to check ice formation on the liquid hydrogen umbilical. The weather forecast remains "go" at the launch site and the Transoceanic Abort Landing site in Moron, Spain, as the countdown clock ticks backward toward an on-time launch at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 16:53:47 GMT
Today's countdown continues to go smoothly and liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis remains on schedule for 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis and crew are embarking on an 11-day mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 16:04:37 GMT ]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 14:44:54 GMT
Today's countdown continues to go smoothly and liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis remains on schedule for 2:01 p.m. EDT. Weather remains favorable, with a 90 percent chance of good conditions at launch time.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 14:17:33 GMT
The STS-125 astronauts are scheduled to depart their crew quarters shortly for the ride to Launch Pad 39A, where Atlantis awaits their arrival. Liftoff remains scheduled for 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 14:12:17 GMT
The mission's seven astronauts are in their crew quarters, climbing into their orange launch-and-entry suits. They're scheduled to depart at 10:16 a.m. EDT for the ride to Launch Pad 39A, where Atlantis awaits their arrival.

Liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis is on schedule for 2:01 p.m. The weather forecast is excellent, with a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 13:50:33 GMT
The countdown clock is holding at T-3 hours for two hours and 30 minutes. Liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-125 mission remains on schedule for 2:01 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A.
]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 12:17:25 GMT Mon, 11 May 2009 09:43:07 GMT
Final preparations will continue throughout the day at Launch Pad 39A, and the rotating service structure that surrounds Atlantis will be rolled back into its launch position at 5 p.m. EDT.

Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters improved on the forecast, now giving the team a 90-percent chance to launch Atlantis at 2:01 p.m. EDT tomorrow without weather interfering.

Also this morning, STS-125 Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Gregory C. Johnson once again practiced landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft as the entire crew readies for their mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

Live countdown and launch coverage begins tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. on NASA TV and on the Web at www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch_blog.html.
]]> Sun, 10 May 2009 14:37:47 GMT
This morning, STS-125 Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Gregory C. Johnson are once again practicing landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

At Launch Pad 39A, the rotating service structure that surrounds Atlantis will be rolled back into its launch position at 5 p.m. EDT.

Late yesterday, Space Shuttle Program managers met and gave the green light for tomorrow's launch of this final mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In a briefing for the media, Mission Management Team Chairman Mike Moses said launch controllers are not working any issues that would prevent an on-time liftoff tomorrow at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Sun, 10 May 2009 13:32:41 GMT Sun, 10 May 2009 00:37:04 GMT
Just after the countdown began on Friday afternoon, the seven STS-125 astronauts arrived at Kennedy. At the Shuttle Landing Facility, Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Gregory C. Johnson conducted suited practices in the Shuttle Training Aircraft on Saturday morning.

Liftoff of Atlantis and crew on the final mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is set for 2:01 p.m. EDT on May 11.
]]> Sat, 09 May 2009 15:50:06 GMT
"Hello Florida! It's great to be here at last!" Commander Scott Altman told a crowd of journalists gathered at the runway. "It's been a long road to get here, and we're all thrilled." After expressing thanks to the teams who trained them and prepared the space shuttles and hardware for the Hubble mission, he concluded with a rousing, "We are ready. Let's launch Atlantis!"

Earlier in the afternoon, the countdown clock began ticking backward from T-43 hours and launch personnel took their seats inside Firing Room 4 of Kennedy's Launch Control Center.

In a morning briefing, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber reported, "All of the systems are in great shape." Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters gave only a 20 percent chance of weather interfering with the launch.

Liftoff of Atlantis and crew is set for 2:01 p.m. EDT on May 11.
]]> Fri, 08 May 2009 21:30:47 GMT
At 3:30 p.m., launch personnel took their seats inside Firing Room 4 of Kennedy's Launch Control Center. The countdown began at 4 p.m., ticking backward from T-43 hours.

The seven astronauts who will conduct the mission are due to fly in from their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, arriving at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at 5 p.m.

"All of the systems are in great shape," reported NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber during this morning's countdown status briefing at Kennedy. "Launch countdown preps are complete and we don't have any issues to report right now. Our launch team here at Kennedy Space Center is proud to be a part of this historic mission that will expand the Hubble Space Telescope's view of the universe and extend its life into the next decade."

Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported only a 20 percent chance that weather could cause issues at the preferred launch time of 2:01 p.m. EDT May 11. The team has a launch window of about one hour that opens 20 minutes earlier at 1:41 p.m.
]]> Fri, 08 May 2009 20:11:14 GMT
"All of the systems are in great shape," reported NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber during this morning's countdown status briefing at Kennedy. "Launch countdown preps are complete and we don't have any issues to report right now. Our launch team here at Kennedy Space Center is proud to be a part of this historic mission that will expand the Hubble Space Telescope's view of the universe and extend its life into the next decade."

Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported only a 20 percent chance that weather could cause issues at the preferred launch time of 2:01 p.m. EDT May 11. The team has a launch window of about one hour that opens 20 minutes earlier at 1:41 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m., launch personnel will take their seats inside Firing Room 4 of Kennedy's Launch Control Center. The countdown will begin at 4 p.m., ticking backward from T-43 hours. At the launch pad, Atlantis' payload bay doors will be closed this afternoon.

The seven astronauts who will conduct the mission are due to fly in from their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, arriving at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at 5 p.m.
]]> Fri, 08 May 2009 14:52:10 GMT
A countdown status briefing at 10 a.m. EDT will feature Jeremy Graeber, NASA test director; Debbie Hahn, STS-125 payload manager; and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer. The event will be carried live on NASA TV.

At 3:30 p.m., launch personnel will take their seats inside Firing Room 4 of Kennedy's Launch Control Center. The countdown will begin at 4 p.m., ticking backward from the T-43-hour mark. Atlantis' seven astronauts are due to arrive at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 5 p.m.

The launch weather forecast is promising, with an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time. Liftoff remains on schedule for May 11 at 2:01 p.m.
]]> Fri, 08 May 2009 13:32:33 GMT
Final prelaunch operations continue at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, where technicians are preparing space shuttle Atlantis for flight. Workers are charging the payload batteries in advance of closing the payload bay doors tomorrow night.

The countdown clock will start at 4 p.m. EDT tomorrow at T-43 hours. Liftoff of Atlantis and crew on the STS-125 mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is set for May 11 at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Thu, 07 May 2009 13:36:48 GMT
Today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Atlantis’ seven astronauts are conducting final reviews of science instrument replacement, repair work and rendezvous procedures for their mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

Liftoff is scheduled for May 11 at 2:01 p.m. EDT, and the countdown clock will start at 4 p.m. Friday.
]]> Wed, 06 May 2009 13:26:09 GMT
With the launch of space shuttle Atlantis less than one week away, preparations at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A are in the final stages. Liftoff is scheduled for May 11 at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Tue, 05 May 2009 13:29:58 GMT
The STS-125 astronauts are set to arrive in Florida on Friday, and today in Houston they will conduct a mission hardware review before beginning their standard prelaunch quarantine tonight.

The launch of Atlantis and crew on the mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled for May 11 at 2:01 p.m. EDT.
]]> Mon, 04 May 2009 13:09:46 GMT
Launch countdown preparations began at Kennedy on Friday following Thursday's executive-level Flight Readiness Review that cleared the way for a May 11 liftoff for the mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The panel determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight. Launch is set for 2:01 p.m. EDT.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts completed medical checkups Friday prior to entering the standard prelaunch quarantine Monday. They are set to arrive for launch at Kennedy next Friday.
]]> Fri, 01 May 2009 20:40:16 GMT
Yesterday, top NASA and contractor managers met at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to conduct the executive-level Flight Readiness Review for the STS-125 mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The panel determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight.

"We had a very thorough review," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, "and we set the launch date for May 11 at 2:01 p.m. Eastern Time.

"The teams are ready to go do what they need to do, and the vehicles look like they are in good shape," Gerstenmaier concluded.

At Kennedy today, launch countdown preparations begin as technicians at Launch Pad 39A continue to ready space shuttle Atlantis for the mission.
]]> Fri, 01 May 2009 13:50:32 GMT
"We had a very thorough review today," said Bill Gerstenmaier associate administrator for Space Operations, "and we set the launch date for May 11 at 2:01 p.m. Eastern Time.

"The teams are ready to go do what they need to do, and the vehicles look like they are in good shape." Gerstenmaier concluded.

Space Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon echoed that assessment of the meeting, saying it was a "very smooth FRR… could not have gone any smoother. There were no dissenting opinions and no real big discussion topics that we had lengthy debate about."
]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:55:24 GMT
During the review that ended at 3:30 p.m. EDT, top NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight, and unanimously agreed to set May 11 at 2:01 p.m. EDT as the launch date.
]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:03:24 GMT ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:45:34 GMT
For the first time, live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the meeting. Follow these updates at: http://www.twitter.com/nasa.
]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:41:45 GMT
For the first time, live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the meeting. Follow these updates at: http://www.twitter.com/nasa.
]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:09:53 GMT
Radiator dents caused by a falling socket in Atlantis' payload bay during payload installation operations last week were photographed Monday and a crack was observed. During an inspection last week, personnel noted a crease, but did not observe a crack in the dented radiator panel. Managers and engineers are reviewing the data and evaluating the repair options, which may include adding a doubler or stop drilling to prevent the crack from spreading. Any necessary repair is not expected to delay the targeted May 11 launch.

Today the astronauts are back at Johnson Space Center conducting simulation training. Before leaving Florida last night, Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Gregory C. Johnson practiced landing procedures in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

The official launch date for STS-125 is expected to be announced tomorrow evening at the conclusion of the day-long Flight Readiness Review, which will be held at Kennedy.
]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:06:35 GMT
The STS-125 crew is at Kennedy today to conduct a payload walkdown at the pad. Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Gregory C. Johnson will practice landing procedures in Shuttle Training Aircraft this evening before returning to NASA's Johnson Space Center.
]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:32:06 GMT
At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are preparing Atlantis for launch, closing out the shuttle's aft compartment and conducting payload interface verification. Tanker deliveries of liquid oxygen used to help power the shuttle's ascent to space continue to arrive at the pad.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts today continued their training by conducting a launch simulation and review of spacewalk procedures.
]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:10:45 GMT
At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are preparing Atlantis for launch, closing out the shuttle's aft compartment and conducting payload interface verification. Tanker deliveries of liquid oxygen used to help power the shuttle's ascent to space continue to arrive at the pad.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts today will continue their training by conducting a launch simulation and review of spacewalk procedures.
]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:28:48 GMT
While the astronauts continue their mission training at Johnson Space Center in Houston, technicians at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A continue to prepare Atlantis and its payload for launch.
]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:55:38 GMT
While the astronauts continue their mission training at Johnson Space Center in Houston, technicians at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A continue to prepare Atlantis and its payload for launch.
]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:09:10 GMT Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:57:48 GMT
Inside the rotating service structure of Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, technicians Wednesday night finished loading the STS-125 payload into the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis. The payload consists of the hardware and tools to be used during the mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

The mission's final executive-level review is set to begin at Kennedy on April 30, and a firm launch date will be announced at that time. Liftoff currently is targeted for May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.
]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:11:38 GMT
Inside the rotating service structure of Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, technicians last night finished loading the STS-125 payload into the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis. The payload consists of the hardware and tools to be used during the mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

The mission's final executive-level review is set to begin at Kennedy on April 30, and a firm launch date will be announced at that time. Liftoff currently is targeted for May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.
]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:11:08 GMT
On Tuesday, the Space Shuttle Program’s Flight Readiness Review concluded, setting the stage for the executive-level review at Kennedy, which begins April 30. Following the final review, a firm launch date for the mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope will be set. Launch is currently targeted for May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 crew continues to train for the servicing mission. Follow astronaut Mike Massimino's personal accounts of training at http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike.
]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:20:43 GMT
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continue to train for the upcoming mission. Tuesday, Mission Specialists Mike Massimino and Michael Good rehearsed inside the tank at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab for the mission's fourth spacewalk. Follow Massimino's personal accounts of training on http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure at Launch Pad 39A surrounds space shuttle Atlantis, where payload operations continue throughout the week. With Atlantis' payload bay doors now open, technicians are loading the hardware necessary for the servicing mission.
]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:17:32 GMT
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continue to train for the upcoming mission. Today, Mission Specialists Mike Massimino and Michael Good will rehearse inside the tank at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab for the mission's fourth spacewalk. Follow Massimino's personal accounts of training on http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure at Launch Pad 39A surrounds space shuttle Atlantis, where payload operations continue throughout the week. With Atlantis' payload bay doors open, technicians are loading the hardware necessary for the servicing mission.
]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:40:20 GMT
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continue to train for the upcoming mission. On Monday, Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel practiced inside the tank at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab for the mission's third spacewalk.
]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:04:38 GMT
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, STS-125 astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel will practice for the mission's third spacewalk inside the tank at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:49:54 GMT
Atlantis is targeted for liftoff May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT, when the crew will begin the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis' mission payload is set to arrive at the launch pad Saturday evening.

Prior to its STS-127 mission to the International Space Station, Endeavour will remain on standby at the launch pad in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew members would be necessary during their mission. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for a targeted June 13 liftoff at 7:19 a.m. EDT.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continue training for their servicing mission, which will include five spacewalks.

]]> Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:19:28 GMT
Atlantis is targeted for launch in less than a month, when its crew will begin the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT. The STS-125 payload is set to arrive at the launch pad Saturday evening.

Prior to its STS-127 mission to the International Space Station, Endeavour will remain on standby at the launch pad in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew members would be necessary during their mission. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for its targeted liftoff June 13 at 7:19 a.m. EDT.

Today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, STS-125 astronauts Mike Massimino and Michael Good prepare for the mission's second spacewalk by conducting their final training run in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab's pool.

]]> Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:24:17 GMT Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:35:10 GMT Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:21:08 GMT Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:54:48 GMT Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:06:12 GMT
A few miles away inside the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Endeavour is undergoing final preparations for its slow trek to Launch Pad 39B, scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Friday. Prior to its STS-127 mission, Endeavour will be on standby at the launch pad in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew members would be necessary during their Hubble servicing mission. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour's liftoff is targeted for June 13 at 7:19 a.m. EDT.

Today at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, STS-125 astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel are working inside the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, where they're conducting the final training run for the mission's first spacewalk.

]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:12:08 GMT
A few miles away inside the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Endeavour is undergoing final preparations for its slow trek to Launch Pad 39B, scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Friday. Prior to its STS-127 mission, Endeavour will be on standby at the launch pad in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew members would be necessary during their Hubble servicing mission. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for STS-127, which is targeted to launch June 13 at 7:19 a.m.

At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the seven-member STS-125 crew is involved in integrated deorbit preparation simulations.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.

]]> Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:44:38 GMT
The orbiter's payload bay doors will be opened today to allow cleaning before installation of the Hubble payload, which is set to arrive at the pad Saturday evening. Also on tap for today are updates to the Global Positioning System firmware. Firmware is software that is embedded in hardware.

The seven-member STS-125 crew is involved in specific systems reviews and entry proficiency simulations in the motion base simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.

]]> Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:04:45 GMT
Prior to its STS-127 mission, Endeavour will be stationed at Launch Pad 39B where it will be on standby in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew would be necessary during their STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue vehicle, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for liftoff on STS-127.

In STS-125 launch preparations, space shuttle Atlantis' inertial measurement units are being calibrated. The three IMUs are part of the orbiter's guidance and navigation system.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on Hubble's servicing mission May 12.

]]> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:59:24 GMT
On Friday, Endeavor was rolled from its processing facility to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building.

Prior to its STS-127 mission, Endeavour will be stationed at Launch Pad 39B where it will be on standby in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew would be necessary during their STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue vehicle, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for liftoff on STS-127.

At Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continued their mission preparations by reviewing flight crew equipment, training for the rendezvous with Hubble and conducting spacewalk simulations.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on Hubble's servicing mission May 12.

]]> Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:28:54 GMT
Prior to that mission, Endeavour will be stationed at Launch Pad 39B where it will be on standby in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew would be necessary during their STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue vehicle, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for liftoff on STS-127.

Today at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continue their mission preparations by reviewing flight crew equipment. The crew has been training this week for the rendezvous with Hubble and several of the five spacewalks.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on Hubble's servicing mission May 12.

]]> Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:16:27 GMT
Yesterday at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continued their mission preparation at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. The crew has been training this week for the rendezvous with Hubble and several of the five spacewalks.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on Hubble's servicing mission May 12.

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Prior to that mission, Endeavour will be stationed at Launch Pad 39B where it will be on standby in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis's crew would be necessary during their STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue vehicle, workers will move it to pad 39A in preparation for liftoff on STS-127.

Thursday at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continued their mission preparation at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. The crew has been training this week for the rendezvous with Hubble and several of the five spacewalks.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on Hubble's servicing mission May 12.

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:10:00 GMT Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:44:49 GMT Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:06:06 GMT Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:44:59 GMT Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:23:14 GMT Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:15:14 GMT Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:27:00 GMT Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:54:30 GMT
At Launch Pad 39A, processing will resume on Monday as technicians continue to prepare space shuttle Atlantis for the targeted liftoff on May 12.

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At the launch pad, Atlantis' liquid oxygen tank replenishment is scheduled for today. Yesterday technicians tested the Power Reactant Storage and Distribution liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen system for the shuttle’s three fuel cells. The system provides all the power for Atlantis during its flight.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on May 12.

]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:50:41 GMT
At the launch pad, technicians tested the Power Reactant Storage and Distribution liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen system for the shuttle’s three fuel cells. The system provides all the power for Atlantis during its flight. Liquid oxygen tank replenishment is scheduled for tomorrow.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on May 12.

]]> Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:22:20 GMT
Processing of Atlantis continues at Launch Pad 39A. Yesterday technicians tested all three of the shuttle's auxiliary power units and the external fuel tank camera.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on May 12.

]]> Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:36:59 GMT
Processing of Atlantis continues at Launch Pad 39A. Today technicians tested of all three of the shuttle's auxiliary power units and the external fuel tank camera.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for liftoff on May 12.

]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:00:09 GMT
At Launch Pad 39A, the rotating service structure that provides access to the shuttle and protection from the elements was closed around Atlantis this morning. Technicians completed testing of all three of Atlantis’ auxiliary power units, and testing of the external fuel tank camera is scheduled.

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The shuttle began its trip in the early morning darkness, rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at 3:54 a.m.

Atlantis and crew are targeted for launch on May 12 to begin their mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:34:00 GMT
The shuttle began its trip in the early morning darkness, rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at 3:54 a.m. EDT.

]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:23:43 GMT Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:17:28 GMT
The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building is scheduled for 4:00 a.m. EDT. The process is expected to take approximately six hours. Atlantis is targeted to launch on May 12 on the STS-125 mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

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