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Source: Nasa embarks on its most dangerous shuttle mission - osmoothie
NASA is set to dispatch seven astronauts on its most dangerous ever shuttle mission as it attempts to rescue the $7 billion Hubble Space Telescope from meltdown.
Led by former US Navy fighter pilot Scott Altman, 49, a one-time stunt flier for actor Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun, the crew of Atlantis will repair and upgrade the orbiting observatory, risking a potentially deadly space-junk collision that could leave them stranded 350 miles above Earth.
The mission, which is costing NASA $1.4 billion and is due to blast off from Florida tomorrow [MONDAY, 2:01 PM EDT], is considered so perilous that it was once canceled by space agency chiefs who feared that it could cost the astronauts their lives.
It was resurrected only after they agreed to place a second shuttle and crew on emergency standby, ready to blast into space to save their colleagues should a catastrophe occur. The move is unprecedented in the 28-year history of the shuttle fleet.
‘It’s a belt-and-suspenders kind of approach - but when your suspenders fail, you’re glad to have the belt,’ said Cdr Altman, who is due to launch with his crew from Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral tomorrow evening, returning in 11 days.
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There are a lot of firsts (and finals) happening this mission --
* It's our final mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Ever. "
The Hubble Space Telescope is considered the most valuable astronomical tool since Galileo first designed a telescope in the 17th century."
* Five spacewalks, 11 days long.
* The mission will be broadcast in HD.
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Astronaut Mike Massimino will be tweeting (Twitter.com) from space, if he gets a chance.
For a crash course in what this Shuttle mission entails, view the following
NASA webcast
For LIVE streaming video of the launch, mission (spacewalks, etc.) and landing as they happen, bookmark and visit -> NASA - NASA TV
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