-->

• The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on Monday, May 11, 2009, on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The seven-member crew's 13-day mission included five spacewalks, allowing the astronauts to perform repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope and equip the device with new instruments.BBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)

  The shuttle touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California on May 24, after inclement weather postponed a scheduled touchdown at Cape Canaveral, Florida.Reuters: Shuttle Atlantis heads for California touchdown (May 24, 2009) Commander Scott Altman called the space flight "a thrill from start to finish."Huffington Post: Atlantis, crew land in Calif. after Hubble mission (May 24, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Launched: May 11, 2009
  2. Launch time: 2:01 p.m EST
  3. Landed: May 24, 2009
  4. Landing time: 11:41 am EST
  5. Launched from launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space CenterBaltimoresun.com: Space shuttle atlantis launch: Atlantis lifts off for Hubble repair mission (May 11, 2009)
  6. Seven crew members on board
  7. Commander: Scott Altman
  8. Pilot: Gregory C. Johnson
  9. Veteran mission specialists: John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino
  10. New to space flights: Andrew Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur
  11. Mission lasted 13 days
  12. Completed repairs on the Hubble Space TelescopeBBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)
  13. Astronauts installed two new instruments and thermal blanketsBBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)
  14. Repaired two inactive instruments, replaced gyroscopes and batteriesBBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)
  15. Repaired a unit that stores and sends back data to the EarthBBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)
  16. The Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 was replaced by the Wide Field Camera 3BBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)
  17. The maintenance should help the telescope to function until 2014
  18. Five spacewalksBBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)
  19. The Atlantis' service mission has been delayed several times since 2002Baltimoresun.com: Space shuttle atlantis launch: Atlantis lifts off for Hubble repair mission (May 11, 2009)
  20. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990BBC News: Shuttle Blasts Off to Fix Hubble (May 11, 2009)

• Hubble

  On May 13, 2009, astronauts for the Atlantis were able to grab the Hubble Space Telescope observatory as they maneuvered the shuttle 35 feet away from HST. The crew brought the observatory on board in order to service it. The last time the telescope was serviced was in 2002.Reuters: Astronauts pluck Hubble Space... (May 13, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  NASA | Hubble Space Telescope | Astronauts | Discovery Shuttle Launch | Shuttle Launch | International Space Station | Mike Massimino

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page