Atlantis Takes Step to Hubble Space Telescope With Launch Pad Transport

UPDATE: Roll-out of Space Shuttle Atlantis has been delayed into next week due to a minor External Tank issue: MORE.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis, slated to provide the 4th and final service mission to the renowed Hubble Space Telescope beginning in the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 8th, will roll from the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building [VAB] Saturday, August 30 over a period of six hours until arriving at Launch Pad 39-A for the final launch campaign.

The fully assembled shuttle will make the 3.4-mile trek across the spaceport and will be delivered to the launch pad atop a crawler-transporter. NASA-TV will provide LIVE coverage of the shuttle making ready for the final launch sequence beginning at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout will air on NASA TV Video File.

The daring space mission of a veteran space shuttle crew will seek to overhaul the space-based telescope over a period of days and restore the scientific instrument to 'better than new' thereby enabling astromers to see further into deep space than ever before.