Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis / STS-125 Mission

STS125-S-048 (11 May 2009) --- Space Shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member STS-125 crew head toward Earth orbit and rendezvous with NASA?s Hubble Space Telescope. Liftoff was on time at 2:01 p.m. (EDT) on May 11, 2009 from launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Onboard are astronauts Scott Altman, commander; Gregory C. Johnson, pilot; Michael Good, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Andrew Feustel, all mission specialists. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the 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 Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.