Shuttle Atlantis Blasts Off On Last Hubble Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Space shuttle Atlantis is on its way
to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Atlantis and seven astronauts blasted off Monday on a mission
that has more risks than usual. It is NASA's final trip to Hubble
and comes after a seven-month delay.
Atlantis and its crew were supposed to fly to Hubble last fall,
but the telescope broke down.
The telescope is in need of new equipment and repairs, and the
shuttle should arrive at the orbiting observatory Wednesday.
The $1 billion repair job will feature five spacewalks. The
astronauts will install new cameras, batteries and gyroscopes, and
attempt to fix two broken science instruments.
Another shuttle is on a launch pad and ready to lift off on a
rescue mission if Atlantis is seriously damaged during the 11-day
flight.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)