spacetoday.net: NASA gives formal approval for May 11 shuttle launch

NASA gives formal approval for May 11 shuttle launch

Posted: Fri, May 1, 2009, 9:45 AM ET (1345 GMT)

NASA shuttle managers approved on Thursday plans to launch the space shuttle Atlantis on May 11 on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis is set to launch on mission STS-125 at 2:01 pm EDT (1801 GMT) on May 11 after managers completed a flight readiness review of the mission on Thursday. The agency announced last week it planned to move up the launch a day to the 11th to give them an additional opportunity to launch the shuttle before NASA has to cede the range for another launch. STS-125 will be the fifth and final mission to service Hubble, with five spacewalks planned to replace instruments and other telescope systems, allowing it to operate for at least several more years.