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New Hubble mission to launch around May 11
Washington (AFP) April 23, 2009 NASA said Thursday it may launch its final mission to the Hubble space telescope a day earlier than planned on May 11 to avoid a calendar clash of dates. "This week we have been having discussions about target May 11 as a launch date," said LeRoy Cain, the deputy head of the US shuttle program. "We have currently May 12 and 13 and due to some conflicts we will not be able to secure any other dates after the 13 ... and won't be able to fly again until approximately May 22, if we cannot launch the 12 or the 13." Planned military launch activities around the same time means all other launches would be blocked until May 22 and the US space agency prefers to leave a three-day window around its launch dates in case the mission is delayed by bad weather or any last-minute technical hitches. Cain said the shuttle Atlantis was on schedule to leave with a seven-strong crew to service the space telescope and carry out any necessary repairs. "The team is in a very good position to go to fly," Cain said. A mission to Hubble carries more risks of being hit by space debris or micrometeorites than a flight to the International Space Station as it orbits at almost twice the height of the ISS. Launched in 1990, Hubble orbits the Earth at an altitude of 575 kilometres (357 miles), using powerful instruments to peer into deep space. It is considered one of the greatest tools in the history of astronomy, providing insights into the origins and evolution of the Universe. This will be the fifth and last mission to the Hubble. Last year an Atlantis flight to the telescope had to be twice rescheduled due after it ran into transmission problems. It is hoped that this mission will allow the Hubble to keep functioning until at least 2014 when it is due to be replaced by a highly sophisticated space telescope with an eagle-eye camera, the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists hope the new telescope will help to lift the veil off the mysteries and origins of the universe. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Shuttle at NASA Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com
Safety panel endorses ending shuttle ops
Washington, April 20, 2009 The U.S. Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel's 2008 report, among other things, endorses NASA's plan to end space shuttle operations. |
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