No birds were observed in the flight path — and so at last the Atlantis was good to go — and it did — just as planned! Today was a picture perfect day with a picture perfect launch off of Launch Pad 39-A.
As the speed increased shortly after the takeoff, Atlantis was traveling at 3,300 miles per hour — what a great way to commute!
A transducer is the only instrument malfunction, but otherwise no other concerns. Four ullage pressure transducers are located at the top end of each propellant tank (liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen). One of the four is considered a spare and is normally off-line. Before launch, GSE normally checks out the four transducers; and if one of the three active transducers is determined to be bad, it can be taken off-line and the output of the spare transducer selected. The flight crew can also perform this operation after lift-off via the computer keyboard.
NASA TV supported the event and you could detect excitement in the voices of those communicating to the crew and reporting to the TV. You will see the video of this historical event here.
Veteran astronaut Scott Altman will command the final space shuttle mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, and retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission specialists rounding out the crew are: veteran spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Mike Massimino, and first-time space fliers Andrew Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur.
The crew is off to repair the Hubble telescope during this 11-day mission that includes five spacewalks. Astronauts will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones, and perform the component replacements that will keep this amazing space telescope functioning into at least 2014.
In addition to the originally scheduled work, Atlantis also will carry a replacement Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit for Hubble. Astronauts will install the unit on the telescope, removing the one that ceased working on September 27, 2008 — this mission had been delayed until the replacement unit was ready to make this trip.
