KSC-2009-2444

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Atlantis passes through the gate at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Behind the flag pole can be seen the fixed and rotating service structures on the pad mound. The shuttle sits atop the mobile launcher platform, which is carried by the crawler-transporter beneath. First motion was at 3:54 a.m. EDT and Atlantis was secured on the pad at 11:17 a.m. The 3.4-mile trip took about seven-and-a-half hours. Atlantis is targeted to lift off May 12 to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. During Atlantis' 11-day mission, the crew of seven astronauts will make the final shuttle flight to Hubble. During five spacewalks, they will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones and replace components. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond what is now available, and an extended operational lifespan for the telescope through at least 2014. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller