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NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch: STS-125 Liftoff Success
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by Jarrett Martineau | May 11, 2009 at 10:03 am
1360 views | 25 Recommendations | 5 comments
NASA's space shuttle Atlantis successfully launched today and has achieved orbit.
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Liftoff took take place at 2:01pm EDT on Monday, May 11th.
NASA TV has ongoing live video coverage of the mission streamed online.
The launch itself was streamed by NASA TV online by 178,000 people. CBC also provided a live video stream of the launch: Shuttle to Hubble video
The space shuttle Atlantis achieved orbit exactly 8 minutes and 30 seconds after its launch.
Atlantis has achieved orbit eight minutes, 30 seconds after its launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
In a first for any space mission, shuttle crew member Mike Massimino will be posting to his @Astro_Mike Twitter account with updates:
I'm going to put my spacesuit on, next stop: Earth Orbit!!
NASA's official STS-125 launch blog counted down the final minutes:
Countdown in the Final StretchMon, 11 May 2009 10:53:04 AM PDT
Coming out of the hold, the countdown clock is at T-9 minutes and counting. Liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis is just minutes away now as the automatic ground launch sequencer takes control of the countdown. During these final minutes, a number of events take place to ready the shuttle for launch. The crew access arm is retracted, as well as the gaseous oxygen vet arm. Atlantis' three auxiliary power units are started and activated, along with data recorders inside the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 4.
NASA is hosting a post-launch news conference at 3:00 p.m. EDT to discuss details about the liftoff and Atlantis mission from Kennedy Space Center at www.nasa.gov/ntv
Follow live coverage of the Hubble / Atlantis launch on Twitter.
See NowPublic's previous coverage on this story: NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Readies for Hubble Repair Mission
The seven astronauts have been waiting seven months for this mission, as it was delayed last fall when the telescope failed.
Weather is looking perfect for a launch today, which will give the Hubble Telescope some much-needed repairs.
It is the final repair mission for the Hubble, where it will get new batteries and gyroscopes as well as two new cameras.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 10:13 on May 11th, 2009
GodSpeed from Japan to Atlantis, and its crew on final flight to the Hubble Space Telescope!
at 16:40 on May 11th, 2009
cannot wait to see these new pictures!
good luck!!
at 17:42 on May 11th, 2009
I am still a Space junky. :-) Japan is making its mark yet again.
at 18:38 on May 11th, 2009
Thanks for covering this story. I was reading all about STS-125 and Hubble.
at 02:47 on May 20th, 2009
Thanks for reporting about human spaceflight news like this. i wish more people were still interested. i wish the public image of spaceflight wasn't so much like what the public image of "art" and "reading" were back when it was considered luxury and gross indulgence. human spaceflight is one of the things that can save the species... like knowledge and understanding.