Atlantis Lifts Off on Hubble Repair Mission

By Jessica Berman

11 May 2009

The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis has lifed off for an ambitious repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. The U.S. space agency hopes the complicated and expensive mission will extend Hubble's life over many years.

Shuttle Atlantis is launched on a mission repair the Hubble space telescope

During the 11-day mission, Atlantis' astronauts will make five space walks. They will replace batteries, gyroscopes and cameras that have been in operation since the orbiting telescope was launched 19 years ago.

NASA Science Mission Directorate associate administrator Ed Weiler says Hubble has lasted much lasted longer than anyone expected.

"Considering we launched Hubble in 1990 with a hopeful lifetime of 10 to 15 years, and if we do last the 5 years we expect, we will be entering our second quarter century on Hubble," Weiler said. "That is not bad on a mission that we hoped would last 10 to 15 years."

In its nearly two decades, Hubble has conducted vast amounts of astronomical research, including the discovery that the universe is expanding at a faster and faster rate. The space telescope has also collected data suggesting that galaxies were formed shortly after the Big Bang explosion that created the universe 13.7 billion years ago.

Hubble has returned spectacular views of the cosmos. Weiler and other space officials hope with new cameras, Hubble will be able to peer still deeper into the Universe in the coming years.

"Hubble has become a standard of excellence in our society," he said. As I said, it is the standard in every new astronomy textbook, whether it is published in English, Spanish, Chinese, [and] Arabic whatever. The images of the Hubble appear in newspaper, magazines, the internet, museums, even art galleries around the world."

NASA has put the cost of the repair mission at $1 billion.

Space officials say thousands of people gathered under sunny skies to watch the launch of Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Flight Center in Florida.