Space Shuttle Atlantis: The Mission

The space shuttle Atlantis will be traveling to the Hubble Space Telescope in what’s considered the “final space shuttle mission” to service the equipment. The crew will spend 11 days working on the telescope, installing two new instruments and repairing two inactive ones. The repairs are designed to keep the Hubble Space Telescope running through at least 2014.

Atlantis’s crew is scheduled to perform five spacewalks. The mission (STS-125) is commanded by Scott Altman and piloted by retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson.

You can find the minute-by-minute breakdown of Atlantis’s timeline on our Space Shuttle Launch Schedule 2009 page.

Shuttle Launch Live 2009 Webcast

Below is a live stream from the Kennedy Space Center, courtesy NASA TV. Click the play button to begin the Webcast.

Related posts:

1. Shuttle Launch Live 2009: Discovery Webcast
2. LIVE WEBCAST: Shuttle Landing Delayed Due to Weather
3. Shuttle Launch Delay: What Happened and What’s Next

NASA’s space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center tonight — March 11, 2009 — at 9:20 p.m. EDT. You can watch the shuttle launch live, plus keep an eye on all the activity leading up to it during the day, right here.

Space Shuttle Discovery: The Delays

NASA scientists had pushed back Discovery’s launch by about a month because of tiny cracks discovered in the engine compartment’s hydrogen valves. Crews ended up replacing all of the shuttle’s valves as a safety precaution and now say the shuffle is safe to travel.

Discovery’s Mission

Discovery’s mission will include four spacewalks on which astronauts will install a 31,000-pound addition to the International Space Station. The truss, as it’s called, has two solar array wings that’ll convert solar energy into power for the station. It is the final piece of the station’s new backbone. Discovery will also bring a replacement for that much-discussed system that converts astronauts’ urine into drinkable water.

Discovery’s crew is made up of Commander Lee Archambault; Pilot Tony Antonelli; Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, and John Phillips; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata.

Shuttle Launch Live 2009 Webcast

Below is a live stream from the Kennedy Space Center, courtesy NASA TV. (Note that NASA may come in and out of coverage during the afternoon hours. Nonstop coverage should begin by evening.) You can find the minute-by-minute breakdown of Discovery’s timeline on our Space Shuttle Launch Schedule 2009 page.

Related posts:

1. Shuttle Launch Live 2009: Atlantis Webcast
2. Weather Causes Delay In Space Shuttle Discovery Launch
3. Shuttle Discovery Launch Postponed To Friday

Endeavor is expected to take off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:55 p.m. ET Friday. As of mid-morning, engineers are estimating a 70 percent chance the weather will stay calm enough for the shuttle launch to remain on schedule.

You can see the shuttle launch live at NASA TV or view our live stream below (note that non-stop shuttle coverage may not begin until later in the day). NASA also offers a host of other live streaming options — you can see specific views of the launchpad and other space facilities, as well as NASA’s official weather monitoring channel. Finally, NASA’s Space Shuttle Countdown Portal offers a view of the current launch clock in real-time, along with regularly refreshed images from the various video feeds.

The Space Shuttle Endeavor will spend 15 days at the International Space Station. Its crew will conduct four spacewalks and install new quarters, which will include a “waste water recycling system” about to turn urine into drinkable water. They’ll also be bringing a new oxygen generator.

Crews began filling the shuttle’s external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants just moments ago. The fueling is expected to be finished by 1:30 p.m. ET.

Shuttle Launch Live Feed from NASA TV:

Related posts:

1. NASA Scrubs Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch for 5th time
2. Shuttle Launch Live 2009: Atlantis Webcast
3. Shuttle Launch Delay: What Happened and What’s Next