The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off yesterday afternoon for a risky but important trip to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble is farther away and harder to dock with than the international space station, where the space shuttle usually goes. On the 11-day mission, astronauts aboard Atlantis are scheduled to do five space walks to give the Hubble new batteries, cameras and other equipment. If the repairs are successful, the 19-year-old Hubble should operate for an additional five to 10 years.
Hubble is considered the greatest tool ever used in astronomy, and the improved equipment would allow scientists to look deeper into the universe than ever before.
source: washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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