On Saturday it was determined by mission managers that Atlantis is finally ready to take off on Hubble repair mission, the fifth and final one. Careful studies of the space shuttle Endeavour reveal that it is also in good shape at the other launch pad; it's on standby in case Atlantis is damaged during the flight and its seven astronauts need to be rescued.
Weather forecasters indicate that the odds for launching Atlantis are currently at 80 percent, and results are positive at the emergency landing site in Spain, where only a slight chance of rain is expected Monday. Liftoff time is just after 2 p.m.
Atlantis' crew will perform five spacewalks on consecutive days to install new cameras and equipment at Hubble, and to repair some broken science instruments. "Atlantis has been on the ground for a while, so that team is really anxious to fly. Hopefully, we'll do that Monday," said launch director Mike Leinbach.
Astronauts last visited Hubble in 2002. NASA wants to replace some of the telescope's old batteries and gyroscopes, and other things, to continue providing views of the cosmos for another five to 10 years. Scientists expect those pictures to be even better—and go even further back in time—with the addition of new science instruments going up on Atlantis. The total cost of the mission for NASA is over $1 billion.
A wild pig grazes in the grass near the space shuttle Atlantis... AP Photo/Chris O'Meara