WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-125 Mission Specialist puts on his glove, checking the fit, before heading for Launch Pad 39A and launch of space shuttle Atlantis. Liftoff is scheduled for 2:01 p.m. May 11 EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade NASA's Hubble Space Telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.