view the launch of STS-125 space shuttle Atlantis from the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, located just outside of Kennedy Space Center. This historic flight, targeted for Monday, May 11, 2009 at 2:01 p.m. ET, marks the fifth and final space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope in history that has given mankind the ability to look deep within the universe.
The space shuttle crew will carry two new science instruments to the Hubble Space Telescope, along with stabilizing gyroscopes, batteries and thermal blankets that will allow the telescope to continue to function through 2013. The current mission duration is set for 11 days, and the astronauts plan to conduct five spacewalks while orbiting 350 miles above Earth.
Guests will have a direct view of the space shuttle immediately after it has cleared the Vehicle
Assembly Building following initial lift-off. As with all shuttle launches, special launch day activities will take place at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, including live NASA countdown audio and video presentations on a jumbo-sized screen, astronaut appearances and launch briefings. Guests can also experience motion-based simulators and hands-on exhibits while visiting the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
About KennedySpaceCenter Visitor Complex
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