Shuttle Atlantis Rolls to Launch Pad for Hubble Mission

At 9:19 a.m. EDT this morning, space shuttle Atlantis began its slow trek from Kennedy Space Center's massive Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A, a journey that should take approximately six hours.

Managers met at 5:30 a.m. for a weather briefing on the status of Tropical Storm Hanna before making the final decision. They determined the effects from Hanna would remain far enough off shore to safely allow Atlantis' move to the pad where it will be protected by the rotating service structure as the storm bypasses the Florida coast on Friday.

This afternoon, Atlantis' crew members are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy for an equipment test Friday in preparation for their mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope has already rewritten the books on astronomy and will remain operational for at least another five years following the upgrades. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on mission STS-125.

Provided by NASA