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NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis to Move to Launch Pad Saturday

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

August 26, 2008

thomas

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Space shuttle
Atlantis is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space
Center on Saturday, Aug. 30. Atlantis is targeted to lift off Oct. 8 to
repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly
Building is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The fully assembled space
shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, external tank and twin solid rocket
boosters, was mounted on a mobile launcher platform and will be delivered
to the pad atop a crawler-transporter. The crawler will travel slower than
1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The process is expected to take
approximately six hours.

Repairs to Launch Pad 39A’s flame trench wall were completed Aug. 5
after crews installed a steel grid structure and covered it in a
heat-resistant material. The pad’s north flame trench was damaged when
bricks tore away from the wall during the May 31 launch of space shuttle
Discovery.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of Atlantis’ move to the
launch pad beginning at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout will air
on NASA TV Video File.

Media are invited to a photo opportunity of roll out and an interview
availability with Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Dates and times of this event are subject to change. Updates are available
by calling 321-867-2525.

Reporters must arrive at Kennedy’s news center by 6 a.m. Saturday for
transportation to the viewing area. Foreign news media accreditation for
this event has closed. Foreign media with credentials must arrive at the
Pass and I-D Building on State Road 3 by 6 a.m. for transportation to the
news center. U.S. media without permanent Kennedy Space Center credentials
must apply for accreditation online by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.

Badges must be picked up by 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, at the new Kennedy
Badging Office on State Road 405, west of Gate 3 (just past the Kennedy
Visitor’s Complex).

During its 11-day mission that includes five spacewalks, the STS-125’s
crew of seven astronauts will install two new instruments in Hubble, as
well as replace the Fine Guidance Sensor. The result will be six working,
complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond those now
available, and an extended operational lifespan of the telescope through at
least 2013.

Atlantis will be commanded by Scott Altman. Gregory C. Johnson will be
pilot. Mission Specialists will be John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Megan
McArthur, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.

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